


winter hugs and chocolate cups

by ChocolateKookie



Category: TWICE (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Baking, Christmas, Cute Park Jimin (BTS), Established Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Fluff, Grumpy Min Yoongi | Suga, Hot Chocolate, Humor, I promise Costa isn't sponsoring this, Jimin is the most festive person you will ever meet, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Years, Seokjin's existence is questionable, Snow, Soft Min Yoongi | Suga, Talkative Park Jimin (BTS), Winter, Yoongi likes to complain, but Jimin likes to listen, fluff fluff fluff, namjin if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28482744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateKookie/pseuds/ChocolateKookie
Summary: Yoongi can’t get his mind off Jimin, the cute barista with the reindeer antlers who offers Yoongi drinks that aren’t on the menu.Yoongi has never been fond of the cold weather, but he can feel himself falling for winter too as he starts to fall for Jimin.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Min Yoongi | Suga/Park Jimin
Comments: 17
Kudos: 122
Collections: Fic Promo Fest (Book 5)





	winter hugs and chocolate cups

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise!! My first ever one shot :D I originally wanted this ready for Christmas, but it kind of became a New Year fic! This is my little winter gift for you hehe, I hope you enjoy it ^^ and, of course, Happy New Year :)

It’s been a long day already. Yoongi spent half the night working on a music piece for his mastering class, only to sleep restlessly and wake up in a panic because he had to return two textbooks to the library before 10am. He even forgot to grab his coat and didn’t have time to go back for it.

Flash forward to now, arriving at the library after a miserable walk in the cold. He’s decided by this point that the establishment is conspiring against him. £1 per hour he’s late. _Why the fuck?_ he thinks bitterly as he scans the books hurriedly.

It’s 9:58am. As long as there are no technical hiccups, he’s fine. And he shouldn’t have technical issues – he studies Music Technology, for Christ’s sake.

 _Unnecessary stress,_ he continues to himself inwardly. One of his favourite pastimes: grumbling to the only person who will listen, himself. _I’m a student, I don’t have the money for library fines._

 _That’s probably the point_ , Hoseok helpfully informed him when he complained about it this morning as he rushed out the door. Hoseok is simultaneously the best and the worst flatmate a person could ask for. The type of person who, when Yoongi oversleeps, will wake him up 20 minutes before his 10am lecture starts – early enough for him to make it _just_ on time, but late enough that Yoongi thinks he might have to kill something, because everyone knows that the walk to campus takes 15 minutes and that Hoseok religiously gets up at 8am each morning. FYI, Yoongi is too broke for the bus and he is _not_ a runner.

He crosses his arms to guard his body against the chilly November wind and tries to get Hoseok’s annoying voice out of his head.

To top it all off, Yoongi’s hungry. He ran out of food yesterday morning and hasn’t had the time to go shopping since, too busy working on this music project that _still_ only sounds half-complete. It’s been officially submitted now – Hoseok made sure of that this morning – but that doesn’t make Yoongi feel any less shitty about it.

He’s heading back to his flat when his stomach grumbles loudly, and Yoongi groans to himself. Hoseok won’t let him steal any of his food, not when he knows that Yoongi could have gone out and bought some himself if he hadn’t left his project to the last minute – _“you need to learn about self-preservation!”_ he tells him continuously – and Namjoon won’t be up for at least another hour. Then there’s his final flatmate Seokjin, one of Hoseok’s friends from his course who is apparently a budding chef, but Yoongi is starting to think that he’s a myth. Yoongi’s been at this university for over a month now and he still hasn’t seen him.

He sighs resignedly. Costa it is.

Yoongi doesn’t have anything against Costa, per se. In fact, Yoongi used to quite _like_ Costa. He even has a Costa loyalty card, from the time he dated that one guy who was obsessed with trying the Christmas hot chocolate flavours each year. They weren’t dating for long, but that time period was between November and February, so Yoongi went to Costa at least 20 times in those few months.

Yoongi walks inside, immediately comforted by the fact that it isn’t even nearly as busy as usual. _Probably because it’s 10am on a fucking Monday morning_ , his brain helpfully supplies. He’s beckoned to the counter right away by a man with a cute smile and reindeer antlers on his head, and the picture is so adorably festive that Yoongi can feel his mood lifting a little bit already.

“What can I get for you today?” he asks cheerfully, and –

Fuck it. He’s getting a Christmas hot chocolate.

Yoongi quickly scans the menu items, noting that some of them are different from last year. “I’ll have the caramelised orange and cream hot chocolate,” he decides.

The server’s expression drops almost imperceptibly as he explains, “I’m so sorry, we just ran out of whipped cream this morning!”

Yoongi bites back a scowl. It isn’t this person’s fault, but seriously. He’s just trying to improve his morning. What is the universe playing at today?

“I could always do just the orange flavour with no cream and give you a discount?” the man suggests.

Yoongi shakes his head. “No, I don’t really want it that much,” he says, even as his stomach is protesting. At this stage he’s thinking he should just go home and sleep. He’ll have another try at this life thing tomorrow.

The man seems to recognise his foul mood, because then he’s saying, “How about I make up a special hot chocolate for you with Christmassy flavours? I’ll charge you the standard price.”

Yoongi’s eyebrows raise in interest. “The standard price?” he repeats sceptically. The Christmas flavours are always more expensive than the standard hot chocolate. (He hates that he has so much knowledge on this. His ex clearly turned him into a Costa connoisseur.)

“Yeah, because I can’t give you what you wanted to order,” the man replies easily, and before Yoongi can question him on whether that even aligns with the company policy, he continues, “Do you like cinnamon?”

Yoongi nods his head mutely, deciding that this has already been a strange day and if it’s about to get even stranger, then so be it.

“Any allergies?”

Yoongi shakes his head no.

“What size do you want?” the man asks him.

Yoongi blinks before making a split-second judgement. “Large.” Wait – “Actually, medium.”

The man laughs. “Don’t you trust me with my invention? I promise it’ll be good!”

Yoongi looks at him doubtfully. “With all due respect, I don’t know you.”

The grin is still on the server’s face as he gets out a couple bottles of syrup – isn’t that the infamous gingerbread flavour? “I’m making you a large,” he announces, and Yoongi doesn’t have any strength left to disagree.

*^.^*

“Who the fuck gets a large at Costa?” Hoseok asks when Yoongi gets home later, the massive takeaway cup cradled in his hands.

“Don’t judge me,” Yoongi says calmly, sipping his drink. “I need this right now.”

Hoseok snorts. “Just go shopping.”

“He said don’t judge him,” Namjoon says as he walks into the kitchen, still in his pyjamas.

Yoongi nods at him in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Joon.”

“No problem,” Namjoon responds with an identical nod of his head. “Always got your back.”

“Don’t I know it,” Yoongi agrees, taking another sip of his drink.

Hoseok cackles. “But look at him! He can hardly hold the cup in his tiny hands.”

“Do you want to die?” Yoongi says.

“I don’t understand you,” Hoseok chuckles, unperturbed.

Yoongi shrugs. “You don’t need to.” He lets out a long sigh before trudging upstairs back to his room, where he finishes his hot chocolate before falling fast asleep.

*^.^*

Yoongi loiters outside the Psychology block, hands shoved deeply in his pockets as he waits for Hoseok to get out of class. At least he remembered his coat this time. He’s also got a face mask which helps to keep his cheeks and nose sheltered from the cold, but somehow the breeze seems to be cutting through and piercing his skin regardless. He blames it on having to stand still and once again hopes Hoseok comes out soon.

There’s a sudden stream of students walking out the doors and Yoongi sighs in relief when he spots Hoseok. “Why do your professors always overrun?” he complains as Hoseok sidles up to him.

“They’re trying to make the most of the teaching hours,” Hoseok says. “What are you even paying for when your tutors let you out early each time?”

Yoongi huffs out a sigh in response.

Hoseok grins. He clearly feels like he’s won today’s pointless argument. (Yoongi doesn’t know how he can grin like that without feeling like his teeth are going to freeze and fall off.) “Anyway, time for lunch. Let’s go.”

“Where’s Seokjin?” Yoongi asks, peering round him. Honestly, he could be any of the people walking past and Yoongi wouldn’t know.

“He doesn’t take this module,” Hoseok explains. He gestures for Yoongi to stop looking around and they start walking to central campus. looking for a place where they can eat and chat in the warmth.

“Are you sure he really exists?” Yoongi says dubiously. “I never see him.”

Hoseok laughs. “That’s because he’s already on campus by the time you get up each day. He hangs out in the evenings, around the same time you always hole yourself up in your room.”

“Unfair,” Yoongi states. “I surface for socialisation at around 11.”

“And Seokjin heads to his room at half 10,” Hoseok says. “Early mornings, remember?”

Yoongi pauses for a moment, mulling it over. “What about freshers week? He must have been around then.”

“You mean the week you spent in your room too shy to socialise?” Hoseok says pointedly.

Yoongi harrumphs. “No way, I don’t believe it,” he decides. “He must be a figment of your imagination.”

Hoseok lifts an eyebrow. “And Namjoon’s?”

“Hmm.” Yoongi generally has more trust in Namjoon’s sanity. This may be cause for a rethink. “Leave it with me.”

Hoseok snorts. “Hey, do you want to grab a drink? I think I need some sustenance before my next lecture.”

“That’s what lunch is for,” Yoongi says dryly. “We packed sandwiches especially for sustenance. Also, I’m broke.”

“You have money, Yoongi, you just prefer to spend it on alcohol,” Hoseok replies.

Yoongi remains silent. He probably has a point.

“Anyway, you can’t be _that_ broke,” Hoseok continues, “you got a Costa last week! And not just any Costa. A _large_.”

“When will you stop going on about that?”

“So you’re down for a Costa? Fantastic!” Hoseok says cheerfully.

Yoongi looks at him, expression blank.

“I’ll buy a drink for you,” Hoseok tells him.

“It’s the least you can do,” Yoongi nods.

*^.^*

Hoseok mocks him as soon as they’re at the front of the queue and Yoongi hesitates over his order. “Are you going to get a large again?”

Their server looks at them expectantly. “Which drink are you getting large?” he questions.

“We’re not,” Yoongi grits out. “Just a medium, please.”

Their server continues to stare blankly. “A medium what?”

Hoseok cackles.

“A black forest hot chocolate, please,” Yoongi says as his ears redden.

“Okay, perfect,” the man grins. “Any extras?” Yoongi shakes his head and the man continues, “Anything else for you today?”

“Just the drinks for today,” Hoseok confirms. “Thanks… Taehyung.”

Yoongi frowns. “How do you know his name?” he asks.

“He’s wearing a nametag.” And – oh. Do they all wear nametags?

Yoongi’s mind drifts unconsciously back to the man who served him last week, with his adorable smile and festive antlers.

“Thanks for calling me by name, by the way,” Taehyung says as he passes on the order to the barista. It seems like the lunch break rush requires a different setup, with one person taking orders and another preparing the drinks. “It breaks up the monotony of the day, like someone actually appreciates the work you do. Anyway,” he grins. “Cash or card?”

Once Hoseok’s paid for their drinks as promised, they move along the counter to wait for their drinks. Hoseok is talking his ear off about something insignificant, but Yoongi’s not listening: his eyes are focused on the reindeer antlers by the drinks machine. He wonders if they belong to the same person as last time.

“My mum’s calling,” Hoseok says, cutting into Yoongi’s thoughts. “It’s probably about Christmas plans – you know how awkward it can be to get a flight home. Can you bring the drinks to the table when they come?” He’s walking away before Yoongi can say yes.

A couple minutes later and the reindeer antler man is turning around – Yoongi most definitely was not staring, that would be weird – and he’s being handed two drinks. “Uh… thanks,” Yoongi says eloquently.

It’s him. It’s the cute guy who gave him the discounted hot chocolate that tasted like holiday spirit. It lifted his mood and saved his bank account and…

Yoongi is indebted, not infatuated. There’s a difference.

“You’re welcome,” the man replies, a kind smile on his face. His brown hair is almost sparkling in the light today. (Yoongi almost wants to hit himself for entertaining such a thought.) He doesn’t look like he recognises Yoongi, but that doesn’t matter. Besides, Yoongi’s wearing a mask that obscures his face and a big coat that obscures the rest of his body. He could be anyone.

He checks the barista’s nametag before taking the drinks to the table.

Jimin.

*^.^*

The next time Yoongi goes to Costa, the cute guy called Jimin is behind the counter again. Yoongi’s pleasantly surprised, of course, because he has no idea which shifts he works, but it’s not like he would have been disappointed if Jimin hadn’t been here. He’s here for the coffee – he has an assignment to finish and he definitely needs a bucketload of caffeine to keep his motivation up.

(It isn’t like he came in here just a couple days ago for the same reason, only to walk out when he saw Jimin wasn’t working. That definitely didn’t happen. A moment like that would ruin Yoongi’s pride and he is one hundred percent not about that.)

“What can I get for you today?” Jimin asks with a polite smile. Yoongi can’t help his slight disappointment when Jimin has no recollection of him – although really, at this point it shouldn’t be surprising – but then Jimin continues, “Hot chocolate again?”

Yoongi smiles slightly, feeling his cheeks warm. (He blames it on the fact he’s still wearing his coat.) “Coffee, actually. I need the strong stuff today.”

Jimin hums in acknowledgement. “Tough day?”

“Something like that,” Yoongi admits. “I’m working on something for class.”

“Oh yeah? What do you study?”

“Music Technology,” Yoongi answers. “Post-grad.”

“Oh, post-grad?” Jimin says, eyes widening in interest. “How old are you?”

Yoongi feels himself fighting off another blush, even though he shouldn’t feel awkward about this. With his height and his quiet demeanour, he knows that people often assume he’s younger than he is. “23.”

“Nice! I’m 21. 3rd year Linguistics,” Jimin says, a genuine smile on his face, and Yoongi vaguely wonders whether Jimin’s actually interested in his life or if he’s just really good at his job.

“Are you enjoying it?” Yoongi asks.

Jimin shrugs. “So-so. It’s cool learning about cross-cultural differences and applying that to my uni life versus my family back home in Korea, but I think I’d enjoy something in music a lot more. One of my friends is taking Music and Sound Production undergrad and it looks so great. He lets me use the recording studio sometimes to help with his projects.”

“That’s cool,” Yoongi says. “The studios are good here, well-equipped and easy to book.” _God, it’s like you’re trying to be boring,_ the mean voice in Yoongi’s head says to him.

“What sorts of modules are you taking? I would have loved to study music, but my parents wanted me to take something more practical.”

Yoongi frowns, looking around the place as if it will give him an answer to why Jimin is happy to talk to him for so long. Granted, it’s not busy, but Yoongi’s work life is only so interesting.

As if on cue, Jimin chuckles, “Whoops, I have another customer!” His reindeer antlers wobble atop his head and he quickly realigns them.

“Do you always wear those antlers?” Yoongi asks before he can stop himself.

“Oh, it’s company policy,” Jimin replies. “Or, well – your colleagues bully you if you don’t wear something festive. As soon as Halloween’s over, it’s hello to Christmas.” He shrugs. “It’s nice having a bit of holiday spirit. Especially when the weather gets cold and deadlines are approaching, we like to be the people bringing a little happiness to people’s days. Not that I dislike the cold weather, though. Winter’s actually my favourite season.”

Yoongi frowns. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Jimin grins. “It’s the perfect time for warm food and decorations and _baking._ I used to bake all the time with my family –”

“Jimin?” a girl says, tapping him on the shoulder. She’s also wearing an apron, clearly another Costa employee, though Yoongi can’t see her nametag from here. “Are you still taking orders?”

Jimin chuckles, blushing slightly. _Cute._ “I am. Uh, what coffee did you want, again?”

Yoongi smiles involuntarily. “Just a cappuccino, please.”

“Normal or cinnamon spiced?”

Yoongi hesitates for only a second. “Go on, then, cinnamon spiced. It’s Christmas, after all.”

The girl behind the counter gives him a strange look. “It’s November.” Then she turns to her colleague, smiling even as she accuses, “Jimin, are you manipulating the customers again?”

Jimin laughs. “Not manipulating! Just spreading a little Christmas spirit.” He turns to Yoongi to take payment. “What was your name, by the way?” he asks as Yoongi gets out his loyalty card and some cash.

“Yoongi,” he responds.

“It’s nice meet you,” Jimin smiles. He hands back the loyalty card, then states, “If you move along the counter, the judgemental lady will bring you your drink in a couple minutes.”

Yoongi laughs and moves along. He sees the barista give him an eye roll, but she’s still smiling. He suspects Jimin is the type of person you can’t really be mad at.

*^.^*

“That guy you made eyes at came in again earlier,” Sana tells Jimin as he walks out front, still tying his apron. (He’s a little late, but thankfully it looks like no students were feeling like an 8am coffee this morning. The place is completely empty.)

Jimin stares at her. Scoffs once or twice. “What? There’s no _guy_.”

Sana laughs. “I know that look, Jimin. That look means you’re lying.”

“How do people see through me so easily,” Jimin sighs.

“You’re transparent,” Sana says. “It’s a good thing. Usually people see honesty in your eyes.” She raises an eyebrow. “Except for when you’re lying.”

Jimin laughs. “Your point, Sana?”

“Ask him out!”

“I can’t just ask him out,” Jimin smiles, shaking his head. “That’s _your_ thing.”

Sana raises an eyebrow. “You want _me_ to ask him out?”

A bell rings, signalling that the front door is open, and they watch someone walk inside. “We have customers,” Jimin reminds her with a pointed look – though Sana might call it the one where he’s trying to hold a straight face. “Be professional.”

“Because professional is _so_ our style,” Sana jokes, but she still turns to the customer and asks what she wants. “Gingerbread latte,” she tells Jimin a moment later, who gets started on the drink. “And don’t think this conversation is over!” she adds with a quiet chuckle, before turning back to her customer.

*^.^*

Taehyung is looking at him funnily as soon as Jimin walks into the staff room. “What’s up?” Jimin asks. “Got something in your eye?”

“Well, some may say I have an eye for love,” Taehyung says stupidly.

Jimin squints at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Just a certain customer that’s been visiting lately,” Taehyung says elusively. “Sana may have told me about it.”

Jimin groans inwardly, sinking down onto the sofa. “I wish Sana wouldn’t gossip in the staff room quite so much. Really, what’s up with that?”

“It’s who she is,” Taehyung shrugs. “She has fun news and she wants to share it. If not for her, I might not even know that you’ve fallen for someone. Now _that_ would be a catastrophe.”

Jimin shakes his head, a small smile on his face. “It’s nothing.”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “That’s not what I heard. I heard you gave him _the look_.”

“It’s really nothing!” Jimin laughs. “We’ve hardly talked, he’s just come in here a couple times and we’ve chatted a bit. He didn’t ask for my number or anything.”

“Huh,” Taehyung says. “Shame.”

“Yeah, it is a little,” Jimin admits.

“Aw, Jiminie,” Taehyung coos, grinning stupidly.

“Stop that.”

“Jiminie has a _crush_ –”

*^.^*

Yoongi is waiting in line behind someone who seems very indecisive. He just wants to get his hot chocolate and go. His laptop and his bed are calling to him. _Why don’t people have their orders figured out before they get to the front of the queue?_ he wonders frustratedly.

“Eat in or takeaway?” the barista is asking. It’s Taehyung again; Yoongi recognises him from last time. (The time when he discovered that employees wear nametags. It seems so obvious now.)

There’s a small pause before the customer repeats, “Eat in or takeaway?” and Yoongi almost groans in frustration.

Taehyung scans the café, then looks back at the customer. “I think takeaway is probably a good choice today.”

Yoongi frowns at the comment. It isn’t like there’s a shortage of spare tables, but at least the barista is helping to hurry him along.

“So you said one medium iced americano,” Taehyung says, the judgement clear in his tone, “in the middle of November. And the second was…?”

The guy hesitates. “I said an iced mocha.”

“In the middle of November?” Taehyung repeats sceptically.

“Maybe I should just get a regular hot mocha?” the customer questions.

“Or maybe even something a bit more seasonal,” Taehyung suggests.

“Something like a gingerbread latte?” the customer asks.

“Something like that sounds perfect!” Taehyung smiles. Yoongi has no clue what’s going on.

“Okay. I’ll go with an iced americano and a very basic gingerbread latte.”

“Basic?” Taehyung repeats. “I have you know, the gingerbread latte is one of the sexiest drinks that exists.” He leans forward, elbow resting on the counter. “Something about the depth of the ginger flavouring as the subtle coffee taste melts in your mouth…”

The customer laughs. “I get it. You’re attracted to gingerbread men.”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “I’m not as attracted to them as I am to you,” he says, voice lowered, and Yoongi grimaces. He has half a mind to turn round and leave before he’s subjected to this kind of conversation.

“Good to know,” the customer responds, surprisingly smoothly. “I’ll take the iced americano and the gingerbread latte to go. No extras, no snacks. Uh, unless you think I should get some?”

Yoongi bites his cheek to stop from screaming.

Taehyung laughs. “No, that sounds fine as it is. I’ll make it in a sec, I just have one more customer behind you. Wait at the other end.”

The customer nods and moves along, and Yoongi finally steps forward.

“Hi,” he says, and before he can say another word, Taehyung is clicking his fingers. He’s looking at Yoongi like he’s trying to place where he’s seen him before. Yoongi wonders if it would be rude to tell him it was in Costa, in exactly this same situation last week.

“It’s you! What’s your name again?”

“Uh - Yoongi?” Yoongi says hesitantly. He doesn’t think he shared his name before. “Are you always this friendly?”

“It’s part of the job,” Taehyung grins, fluttering his eyelashes. He has red glitter on one eyelid and green glitter on the other.

“Is it also part of the job to flirt with customers?”

Taehyung laughs. “I can’t flirt with you, you’re off limits.” Before Yoongi has a chance to wonder what that means, Taehyung asks, “What can I get for you?”

“One mint hot chocolate please. Medium. Although I wonder if you’re going to convince me to get something different,” he quips.

Taehyung laughs again. He gestures to the man waiting at the counter – “That’s Jungkook, my boyfriend. The second drink is for me. He’s usually good at reading my mood and guessing what I want, but today he was completely off the mark.”

“Ah.” That makes a lot more sense. But… “Why did he order you a drink while you’re still working?”

“My shift finishes in a few minutes,” Taehyung explains. “Jungkook tries to come by at the end of my shift each day and gets us a couple of drinks to celebrate. Another day on the job, successfully accomplished.”

Yoongi snorts at the phrasing.

“So, that’s one medium mint hot chocolate,” Taehyung recaps. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it, thanks.”

“Great,” Taehyung smiles. He takes payment, then peers round Yoongi to see if anyone else is in line. “You can stand with Jungkook while I get the drinks ready. Looks like you’re my last customer of the day.”

Yoongi walks to the other end of the counter and smiles at Jungkook in greeting, hoping it doesn’t come across as awkward or somehow intimidating. He’s not always told he’s the most approachable.

Jungkook smiles back. “You’re a friend of Taehyung’s?”

Yoongi chuckles at the thought. “No, just a customer. He’s very chatty, makes things feel a lot more personable.”

Jungkook’s smile widens, his eyes crinkling. “Yeah, Taehyung’s like that. He makes it his mission to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated. What was your name, by the way?”

“Oh, I’m Yoongi.”

“Oh, you’re _Yoongi_ ,” Jungkook says in realisation. “Jimin’s mentioned you.”

Yoongi blinks. “He has?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook nods. “He said you chatted last time you ordered with him. Favourite customer of the day. Oh - thanks, Tae.”

Taehyung grins in response. “Don’t start without me!” He turns back to the drinks machine and Yoongi gestures to the takeaway cups.

“He didn’t make you pay full price for those, did he?”

Jungkook laughs. “Not a chance. I’m special. Staff discount.”

Yoongi hums. A staff discount sounds nice. Maybe it would’ve allowed him to get cream on his hot chocolate.

Jungkook checks his watch, then looks at Taehyung expectantly. “Are you ready to go? It’s 3:01.”

Taehyung shakes his head reluctantly. “I can’t leave with no one manning the counter. Looks like Jimin’s running late again.”

“Do you want me to go hurry him along?” Jungkook offers.

Taehyung’s eyes soften, and if Yoongi were to guess he’d say Taehyung was putting on puppy dog eyes. “Would you?”

Jungkook nods and disappears through a door to the left of the counter.

“He’ll be at least another 5 minutes,” Taehyung shares. “It’s just who he is. Unless he’s on first shift of the day, he’s always running late. Sometimes even then,” he adds as an afterthought.

“Does it get annoying?” Yoongi asks, looking at the two drinks still sat on the counter. He hopes the latte won’t get cold before Taehyung has a chance to drink it.

“A little,” Taehyung admits. “Mainly because we’re meant to start and finish on the hour - and at a couple minutes past each hour, students start coming in after their lectures and seminars. So I sometimes end up serving a few more people than I’m technically contracted to.” He pauses, picking up a couple of takeaway cups. “Snowman or reindeer?” he asks.

Yoongi chuckles. “Snowman.”

Taehyung nods and puts the cup with the reindeer picture back on the pile. “Good choice. Just FYI, Jimin’s favourite is the reindeer.”

Yoongi blinks. “Okay?”

Jimin rushes out front. “Hi, sorry! I’m here.”

Taehyung looks at him in astonishment, then turns to Jungkook. “How did you get him to come out so quickly?”

“I told him Yoongi was here,” Jungkook says.

Yoongi feels a blush rising up his neck and he hopes his scarf will cover it.

“What can I get for you?” Jimin smiles brightly.

“Oh, Taehyung’s sorting it for me,” Yoongi explains.

“Actually, I thought I’d leave it to Jimin,” Taehyung grins mischievously. “Nothing gives him more pleasure than serving his most loyal customer.”

Jimin gives him a judgemental look. “You’re just trying to skive off your job.”

“So what if I am? It’s 3:02!” Taehyung protests. “I stopped getting paid 2 minutes ago.”

Jimin laughs. “Fine. What was it you gave up on halfway through making?”

“Medium mint hot chocolate,” Taehyung answers.

“Did you offer him any extras?”

“Yeah, but he didn’t want any.”

Jimin sighs in a way that suggests Taehyung is missing something obvious. “You have to push for it.”

“But he already warned me against trying to change his order,” Taehyung laughs.

“Yoongi, any cream or marshmallows?” Jimin says, turning to him. “Or snacks from the bakery section? I’ve got to admit they aren’t as good as what I can bake myself, but…”

Yoongi isn’t listening. “Where are you antlers?”

Jimin’s eyes widen and he rushes back through the door without another word. Only a moment later, he reappears with the antlers on his head. “Thanks for reminding me!” he smiles brightly.

His smile is contagious and Yoongi feels one spreading across his own face. “You’re welcome.”

Taehyung raises an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Looks like that’s our cue to leave. I’ll just go put my apron back and grab my coat.”

“Are you eating in or taking away?” Jimin asks.

“Takeaway, please. Taehyung already got out the cup for me,” he says, pointing to the cup at the side of the machine.

“Well at least he did something,” Jimin says. There’s a funny look on his face, one that suggests he thinks he’s taking the moral high ground.

Jungkook snorts from where he’s loitering by the counter.

Jimin gives him the side-eye. “Is there a problem?”

“Not at all,” Jungkook replies, holding back a smile. Yoongi and Jungkook share an amused look as Jimin gets working on his hot chocolate.

Taehyung resurfaces a moment later, picking up their drinks from the side. “You ready to go?”

Jungkook nods, then waves goodbye to Jimin and Yoongi.

“Did you just get an iced drink so it wouldn’t get cold on the way back?” Taehyung asks as they walk out the door.

“Of course,” Jungkook replies. Then their voices are swept away by the wind and the door falls closed behind them.

Jimin puts Yoongi’s drink on the counter, smiling at him. “Here you go. I added a couple extras, by the way. I figured you were just holding yourself back.”

Yoongi chuckles. “I’m starting to think I’m destined to come in here and not get what I ordered.”

Jimin blushes slightly. “Hopefully it will be a nice surprise.” The bell on the front door rings as a group of students walk inside. Jimin straightens his apron and his antlers.

Yoongi nods. “I have faith in your abilities by now.” He picks up his drink and makes to turn away. “Well, see you.”

“Maybe you should come back on Thursday,” Jimin says impulsively. “Between 12 and 6?” he adds hopefully.

Yoongi smiles a little. “I do usually need a pick-me-up after my 3pm lecture.”

Jimin smiles back, visibly relieved. “Sounds like a plan, then.”

Yoongi chuckles. “See you, Jimin. Hope the rest of your shift goes well.” He sees Jimin wave at him from the counter as he leaves Costa, and he can’t wipe the smile off his face for the entire walk home.

*^.^*

“Yoongi, you’re here!” Hoseok says excitedly when Yoongi walks down the stairs.

Yoongi gives him a strange look. “I live here.”

Namjoon grins. “We’re trying to plan something for Seokjin’s birthday, but we only started talking about it just now. We had to wait for him to leave first, obviously. It’s a shame, you just missed him.”

“It’s his birthday soon?” Yoongi says, walking to the sink to grab a glass of water. “How don’t I know anything about this guy?”

“Maybe because you never talk to him?” Hoseok says.

“Anyway, we thought about a night out,” Namjoon starts, “but he always has early starts and in the final week of term, that’s risky. So we were just discussing a meal out.”

Hoseok nods. “What do you think? Boring? Scintillating?”

Namjoon glances at him. “Scintillating is an interesting choice of word.”

“He’s always been a bit odd,” Yoongi comments. He joins Namjoon on the sofa. “I’d prefer not to do a meal out, honestly. I don’t have much money left.”

“And yet you’re always at Costa,” Hoseok sighs. “RIP your bank account.”

“RIP,” Yoongi agrees. He’s resigned to it now.

“Are you crushing on one of the waiters or something?” Namjoon asks.

Yoongi can only stare at him in shock. “How did you know?”

Hoseok starts laughing before Namjoon can respond. “Wait, you’re _kidding._ ”

Yoongi glares. “He has a cute smile, okay? What am I supposed to do, not see him?”

“Well you could try actually asking him out,” Hoseok suggests. “Maybe suggest an activity that doesn’t involve buying an overpriced hot chocolate on the daily?”

Yoongi turns to Namjoon. “Seriously, am I that obvious?”

Namjoon laughs. “I had a friend in high school who kept taking me to Starbucks because she was crushing on the barista there. It wasn’t hard to guess.”

“Anyway, Seokjin’s birthday,” Yoongi says determinedly. He refuses to blush, or to be made fun of by Hoseok. (Although the latter is always a dead cert whenever the two of them are in the same room.)

“Well if you didn’t fancy a meal out, do you have any suggestions?” Namjoon asks.

“Maybe he wants a Costa day trip,” Hoseok snickers. They both ignore him.

“I don’t know him,” Yoongi starts, “but if you thought a night out would be fun, maybe we should just do a surprise party here?”

Namjoon’s eyes widen. “That’s genius! That means we can still have all the music and alcohol without the insane pricing, plus we can start earlier and kick everyone out when it gets too late.”

“Or Seokjin can just go to bed when he gets tired,” Yoongi suggests. “His room’s only upstairs.”

“Go to bed during his own party?” Hoseok says doubtfully.

“You got any better ideas?” Yoongi asks.

Hoseok shakes his head. “Let’s start planning.”

*^.^*

Yoongi fights back a shiver as he walks from the music studios to central campus. It’s been a long few days working on a stubborn assignment that’s refusing to go how Yoongi wants it to. It feels like he’s hardly seen the light of day since he started work on it earlier this week. He hasn’t been able to catch a break all month. November is a hotspot for Music Tech deadlines, it would appear.

At least he’s almost at the finish line now. He just needs some sustenance, a little breather, before going back and finalising things. He thinks Hoseok would be proud of him for not actually leaving it all to the last minute this time. Hopefully he can submit something tonight that’s half-decent: no all-nighters or crazed mornings drinking 5 espressos before the deadline at 11am. Not today.

He reaches the Costa on campus with only 10 minutes to go until closing time. The place looks deserted already and Yoongi can only hope he didn’t misjudge his timings. Walking all the way back in the cold with no coffee to keep him going seems torturous right about now.

The front door opens as normal and Yoongi walks in, relieved. He can see Taehyung behind the counter.

As he approaches the counter, he hears Taehyung mumble to the employee behind him, “I hate when someone comes in 5 minutes before closing time. I thought I was done.” Yoongi falters, feeling a little guilty. But he really needs the energy boost to get through tonight.

Then he sees a familiar face poke round Taehyung’s side, and Jimin is saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll take it!”

“Really?” Taehyung asks in surprise. “Hey, thanks man. I can hang around, anyway – Jungkook should be in any second.” Then he turns around to face Yoongi and a knowing smile spreads across his face. “But I’ll let you deal with this one,” he finishes. He steps to the side and gets out a cloth, starting to wipe down the sandwich maker.

“What can I get for you today?” Jimin smiles. His antlers are looking a little wonky, and Yoongi figures it must have been a long day. (Long enough that Taehyung’s usual enthusiasm has wavered, at least.)

“Something strong,” Yoongi answers.

“Another assessment?” Jimin asks sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Yoongi says. “But it’s almost done. Could I order a few espressos, actually?”

Jimin holds back a laugh. “Any chance I can tempt you with a caramel cortado? It’s an espresso with milk, laced with caramel.”

Yoongi licks his lips. That does sound tempting. “Why do I feel like you have an aspiration to up my sugar intake?”

Jimin laughs. “It must be the baker in me.”

Yoongi grins. “One caramel cortado, then. Which snacks do you recommend?”

“Well, for a chocolate lover, the chocolate tiffin is pretty good. So is the chocolate brownie. But honestly, my chocolate cups are better,” Jimin discloses.

Yoongi smirks. “Since your chocolate cups aren’t on offer, I suppose I’ll go with the brownie.”

Jimin gets Yoongi’s food and drink sorted and passes it to him.

“Oh – I forgot to specify takeaway,” Yoongi says awkwardly.

Jimin falters. “I know we’ve only got a few minutes until closing time, but why don’t we sit for a bit? I’m sure you need a break after working all day.”

Yoongi contemplates it for a second before nodding in agreement. The opportunity to have a proper conversation with Jimin is too good for him to pass up.

Jimin lets Taehyung know that he’s off the hook; he’ll handle locking up tonight. He’s just sat down with Yoongi at a nearby table when Jungkook walks through the door.

“Hi!” Taehyung grins from behind the counter. “Last customer of the day – perfect timing. What do you want to drink?”

Yoongi turns to his drink, a small smile on his face. It’s kind of cute how Taehyung’s always so excited to see his boyfriend. He curiously takes a sip of the caramel cortado. “Oh my God,” he exclaims suddenly. “This is amazing. How didn’t I know this existed before?”

Jimin grins. “I told you it would be good.”

Yoongi nods. “You were right. You’re slowly earning my trust, Jimin.”

Jimin giggles – yes, giggles – and Yoongi’s heart melts.

“Eat in or takeaway?” they hear Taehyung say in the background.

Yoongi turns around to see Jungkook looking at him blankly. “Eat in or takeaway?” he repeats.

Yoongi sighs at the scene. “What’s all that about?” It feels like a repeat of last week’s conversation. At least it’s easier to ignore it from over here.

“Taehyung doesn’t like to stay in the workplace too long, but Jungkook doesn’t like takeaway drinks because they’re always a little cold by the time they get back,” Jimin explains. “So they’re forever compromising for one another.”

“Oh,” Yoongi says. In some ways, that’s kind of sweet. He has another sip of his caramel cortado. Then – “It feels kind of rude drinking this while you’re sat there with nothing. Did you want to try some?”

Jimin chuckles. “That’s kind of you, but I work here. I’ve had all these things before.”

Yoongi stares at the table and wills away the redness creeping up his cheeks. “Of course you have.”

“I’m more a fan of hot chocolate, personally,” Jimin continues. “I have coffee syrups at home which I use to flavour the hot chocolate. I’ve got to tell you, if I ever open up my own café, Costa has some serious competition.”

“With your inventiveness, I don’t doubt it for a second,” Yoongi says honestly. Jimin smiles again and Yoongi could swear that he’s got gold glitter on his cheeks. Maybe it’s just a trick of the light. But he looks kind of stunning.

 _No, Yoongi, don’t stare_. He turns around impulsively just in time to watch Taehyung ask, “Shall we go home?”

Jungkook grins, his eyes crinkling in the corners. “Yeah. Home.”

They stare at each other for a moment and Taehyung smiles softly, taking his hand. “Bye Jimin, bye Yoongi!” he calls to them as they walk out.

Yoongi frowns, turning back to Jimin. “They seem extremely excited about the prospect of going home. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can relate, but…”

Jimin laughs. “They moved in with each other last week. They haven’t got over the novelty yet, I suppose. Of calling the same place ‘home’.”

Yoongi smiles softly. “The more you tell me, the more I like them together.”

“Oh, they’re ridiculous,” Jimin agrees. “It’s almost sickening to think about. They’ve been dating practically since they met last year. But they really do suit each other.”

Yoongi nods. “I see that. How come they moved in with each other so recently, though? November seems like an odd time.”

Jimin hums. “Jungkook started off this year living with some people from his course, but he didn’t have much in common with them. A couple of them got annoyed that Taehyung was there so often, too, which obviously Jungkook wasn’t too happy about. Then he had an issue with mould on his ceiling, so he was wondering if he should rent a hotel room while it got sorted, or just give up on the house and pay for one of those hall accommodations – you know the unofficial university halls, where you pay individually for your room?” After Yoongi nods, Jimin continues, “But Taehyung has a studio apartment this year, with a double bed. So when Jungkook told him about all these issues, Taehyung said, why don’t you just move in with me?”

“That does seem like a good solution,” Yoongi acknowledges. “Is it working out okay for them so far?”

“They’re the happiest I’ve seen them,” Jimin nods.

Yoongi smiles into his drink. Maybe it’s just the holiday festivities finally getting to him, but part of him wonders if he could have something like that one day. (Maybe with Jimin. But he’ll keep that thought tightly locked away for now.)

“How’s the brownie?” Jimin asks after a few minutes.

“It’s good,” Yoongi answers. “But I see what you mean. You can tell it isn’t homemade.”

Jimin hums. “I don’t know what recipe they use, since the snacks get delivered to us, but I think my family’s recipe is much better.”

“You baked with your family growing up, right?”

“Yeah,” Jimin grins. “Did I tell you that? Gosh, I really talk so much about myself.”

Yoongi chuckles. “It’s nice. I want to hear about your life.”

Jimin hides a smile in the sleeve of his jumper. “Well, my mum used to bake with us every weekend when we were kids. That’s me and my two siblings – one brother and one sister.”

“How old are they?”

“My brother’s two years younger, my sister’s three years,” Jimin explains.

Yoongi hums. “I have younger siblings too, but mine are much younger. My sisters have just turned 10 and 12.”

Jimin grins. “Those are the best ages. Enjoy it while you can.”

Yoongi laughs. “Yeah, so I’m told. Apparently everyone expects them to become grumpy teenagers, like me.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow in interest. “Were you a grumpy teenager? I can’t really picture you grumpy.”

Yoongi blinks at him. “Most people tell me I’m still grumpy now.” He shrugs. “Maybe I’ve just been good at hiding it from you.”

“Maybe,” Jimin considers, “but I think it’s all down to interpretation. People see what they want to see.”

“How philosophical of you,” Yoongi comments. He finishes the last sip of his cortado and the last bite of his brownie. “Thanks for keeping open late for me,” Yoongi adds. “I bet it’s been a long day already.”

Jimin shrugs. “It’s been okay.”

“I should probably get back to the studio.”

“If you give me a minute to lock up, I can walk with you?” Jimin offers.

“Oh, you don’t have to,” Yoongi says quickly. “It’s 15 minutes from here and it’s probably out of your way.”

“I’ve been to the studios before, remember?” Jimin chuckles. “Jungkook studies Music and Sound Production. The studios are actually basically en route to my house. But if you want the time to brainstorm and get yourself in the right headspace to finish your assignment, I completely get it.”

Yoongi’s heart swoops. How can he be so considerate? “Actually, that would be nice. I’d appreciate the company.”

Jimin grins and Yoongi wants to kiss him. “That’s great! Taehyung already wiped the appliances down, so I just need to wipe the tables and put up the chairs.”

“Where are the cloths?” Yoongi asks. “I’ll help.”

Jimin gives him a confused look. “Why? You’re not getting paid.”

“Well, if you count the free brownie, I am getting paid.”

Jimin smiles embarrassedly. “So you noticed you weren’t charged for it.”

“I know that a drink and a snack at Costa costs more than £3, Jimin.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow. “This is to work off your debts, then?”

“Exactly.”

Jimin smiles. “Okay, if you insist.” He hands Yoongi a clean cloth and the disinfectant spray before grabbing some for himself. “Could you wipe the tables on that side? If we do half each, we’ll finish much quicker.”

They work quickly and soon enough, Jimin is locking the front door behind them.

“So you said you liked baking,” Yoongi says as they walk. “Chocolate cups, was it?”

“Yeah,” Jimin grins. “They’re my specialty.”

“I don’t really know what they are,” Yoongi admits.

“They’re basically cupcake cases made of chocolate, and then you fill it,” Jimin explains.

“What sort of fillings?” Yoongi asks interestedly.

“Anything, really,” Jimin replies. “Raspberries, peanut butter, toffee, more chocolate…”

“All at the same time?” Yoongi says doubtfully. Maybe Jimin isn’t as skilled a baker as he let on.

“No,” Jimin laughs. “They’re separate fillings.”

“Hang on –” Yoongi cuts himself off, laughing too. “Then why would you fill a chocolate cup with more chocolate?”

“You can use different types of chocolate!” Jimin says, clearly ready to defend his creations. “You sometimes make the chocolate filling more molten, too. Kind of like an open Lindor.”

“But still –”

“No, I will not accept another opinion on this,” Jimin argues. “If you don’t support chocolate overloads, I don’t know if I can talk to you anymore.”

“Jimin, I had a large hot chocolate the day we met. It doesn’t get more _chocolate overload_ than that.”

“Jungkook sometimes gets a large hot chocolate and a chocolate brownie,” Jimin says pointedly.

“I stand corrected.”

“He also likes my chocolate-filled chocolate cups –”

“What, am I in competition with Jungkook now?”

Jimin laughs. “I’m just saying, there’s another contender.”

Their laughter slowly settles into something a little calmer, and Yoongi asks, “So when do I get to try your chocolate cups?”

“I’ll have to make you some,” Jimin smiles.

“I bet they taste like festivities and holiday spirit,” Yoongi decides.

Jimin laughs. “You bet they do.”

“And Christmas. Is Christmas baking a big thing in your household?”

“It is,” Jimin says. “When I was young, my mum and I used to make Christmas cookies every year.” He pauses, pressing his lips together like a laugh is about to escape from them. “Would you believe me if I said New Year was actually my favourite holiday?”

“Absolutely not,” Yoongi responds determinedly. “You’re lying.”

Jimin laughs again, his head falling forward with the force of it, and Yoongi is grinning so hard his face hurts.

They keep chatting about anything and everything as they walk, and Yoongi can hardly stop smiling. He knows he’ll regret it later when his teeth are aching from the cold. But right now, he’s happy to walk with Jimin and listen to his life story. (Okay, so that’s a _little_ presumptuous. Jimin isn’t sharing his life story, per se. But he is very chatty.)

It starts snowing as they reach the music studios, and Jimin pauses to watch the snow fall around them. The look in his eyes is so carefree and excited. Yoongi almost wishes the studios were further away.

“When this snow settles, I challenge you to a snowball fight,” Jimin says, a mischievous smile on his face.

Yoongi nods. “Deal.”

Jimin hesitates. “Uh, so when it snows again, how will I contact you?”

Yoongi looks at him carefully, wondering if he’s reading the situation right. “Should I give you my number?”

“It’s probably for the best,” Jimin says quickly, the most serious expression on his face.

By the time Yoongi gets into the studio to finalise his project, he’s grinning ear to ear. He can’t wait for it to snow again.

*^.^*

“How did the assignment go, by the way?” Namjoon asks as they’re walking to their music production class together. “Did you manage to submit on time?”

“I actually submitted last night,” Yoongi boasts. “A whole 12 hours before the deadline.”

“Damn,” Namjoon whistles lowly. “I’m jealous.”

Yoongi snorts. “What? Submitting on time is your thing, I’m just a wannabe. I think last night is the first time I’ve ever achieved something like that. I blame Hoseok on putting pressure on me to be more like you,” he adds pointedly.

Namjoon chuckles. “I wasn’t so lucky this time, it seems. I got so caught up organising the last bar crawl with Korean Society that I didn’t leave myself enough time to work on the assignment. I submitted at 10:48 this morning.”

Yoongi can’t help it, he laughs. “That’s mad. It’s like we’ve swapped over.”

“Yeah,” Namjoon grimaces. “I hated the last minute time pressure. That won’t be happening again.”

“Was the bar crawl at least a success?” Yoongi asks.

“I don’t know; it’s happening tonight.”

“So what was the rush with organising it?” Yoongi questions, befuddled.

Namjoon glances at him. “You’d be awful in any exec position. If you think that finalising an event the day before it’s happening is _in advance_ –”

“When does it start?” Yoongi interrupts. “Maybe I’ll come along.”

“Really?” Namjoon frowns.

“No need to look so surprised.”

“Yoongi, don’t take this the wrong way, but you can be quite antisocial.”

Yoongi glances at him. “Are you saying you don’t want me there?”

“I’m saying I want you there, but I don’t expect you there,” Namjoon clarifies.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “I’m sure it would make my grandmother happy to know I’ve finally taken part in a Korean Society event. She thinks I’ve lost all touch with my heritage, being 3rd gen and all.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think going to a university bar crawl is going to do much to change her mind,” Namjoon says wryly.

*^.^*

Contrary to Namjoon’s expectations, Yoongi does come along to the bar crawl. Part of the reason is that he can get drunk without any judgement. Besides, he’d been meaning to come along to one of the Korean Society events at some point. Hoseok is too busy to join, apparently – as is Seokjin, although that doesn’t surprise Yoongi in the slightest. As far as he’s concerned, Seokjin’s existence has been made up entirely by Namjoon and Hoseok as some very peculiar kind of practical joke. So long as Yoongi doesn’t have to pay more rent to cover the extra room, he’s more than happy to go along with it.

They’re in the second bar of the night when Yoongi spots a familiar face. “Taehyung, hi!”

“Yoongi!” Taehyung cheers. “How are you doing? Kook, look, it’s Yoongi!” They wander over, both wearing humongous grins on their faces.

“Bit soon to be this smashed, isn’t it?” Yoongi shouts over the music.

Taehyung laughs. “Can’t go to a bar crawl without pre-drinks. What are you doing here?”

“My flatmate’s on exec,” he explains.

“That’s awesome!” Jungkook says. “Do you want another drink? I’m heading to the bar.”

“He gets rounds for everyone we see on nights out,” Taehyung murmurs in Yoongi’s ear. “Say yes.”

Yoongi laughs. “Okay, sure. Whatever you’re having.”

Jungkook wanders away to the bar and Taehyung grabs Yoongi’s hands, dancing with him like a maniac. Yoongi doesn’t really mind, perhaps because he’s a little tipsy. He’s happy to admit he’s actually having fun. (Even though he’s dreading the walk to the next bar. Why do you have to change bars during bar crawls? Wouldn’t it be warmer to just stay in one the whole time?)

Jungkook resurfaces a bit later with their drinks, and also Namjoon in tow. “Hey, Yoongi, you should meet Namjoon!”

“He’s super cool!” Taehyung agrees, still grinning manically as he tries to spin Yoongi in a circle. (Yoongi politely refuses.) “He helped organise tonight.”

“That’s my flatmate!” Yoongi laughs, pointing wildly at Namjoon so they get the message.

“How do you know Jungkook and Taehyung?” Namjoon asks in surprise, leaning close to Yoongi’s ear.

“I socialise,” Yoongi boasts. “You shouldn’t be so judgemental next time, Joon. I thought you were better than that.”

“We met at Costa,” Taehyung pipes up. “I work there on campus most days.”

Namjoon raises an eyebrow at Yoongi and Yoongi wants to wipe that annoying smirk off his face. “What? That counts as socialising,” he says determinedly.

Thankfully, Namjoon simply laughs. “You’re lucky it’s too loud to hold a conversation in here,” he tells Yoongi, before roping Jungkook into a ridiculous dance duet.

*^.^*

Yoongi trudges out of his lecture, trying not to let the rain soak him through _again._ But it’s no use. Even if he could protect himself from the rain this time, his jeans are already dripping wet and his coat is more like a blanket of ice than a shield. He spies the campus Costa out of the corner of his eye and rushes in before he can think twice about it.

There aren’t any seats left, but that isn’t a surprise. The place is jam-packed. Wow, how Yoongi wishes he lived on campus. That would be so much more convenient than having to camp out here in between classes. Either way, he gets in line and contemplates whether it’s time for a coffee or whether this situation calls for a hot chocolate.

By the time he’s only a few people away from the front of the line, he’s decided on some self-indulgence to get him through the rest of the day. Although a conversation with Jimin, who he can see serving someone at the front, should help in that respect as well.

“Yoongi!” Jimin says brightly when he reaches the front of the line. “What can I get for you?”

“Hot chocolate with caramel,” Yoongi answers, unable to smile back at Jimin. He’s too cold and wet for that right now. He’ll smile later.

“Coming right up,” Jimin says, turning back to the barista to relay the order, even though they both know it isn’t on the menu.

Nowadays Jimin regularly makes exceptions for Yoongi, and Yoongi finds he doesn’t mind at all.

“Did you want to sit down while you wait? I’ll get you a piece of cake, too, on the house.”

Yoongi blinks at him. “I don’t want cake. Just the hot chocolate is fine.”

“A panini then?” Jimin says, gesturing to the fridge beside Yoongi, and after a split second’s hesitation, Yoongi picks out one of the paninis and hands it over. Why turn down free food, after all?

“I can’t sit down, either,” Yoongi adds as an afterthought. “All the seats are taken.”

Jimin looks around, searching for an empty spot, but he clearly finds that Yoongi is correct because then he turns back to him with renewed determination and says, “Wait by the side; once it’s ready I’ll lead you to the staff room. You can sit and eat there.”

Yoongi stares at him incredulously. “Firstly, there’s no way that’s allowed. Secondly –”

“Taehyung’s there at the moment on lunch break,” Jimin says, cutting him off. “I’m sure he’d be happy to have some company.” Jimin then turns to the next customer. “Hi, what can I get for you today?”

Yoongi is left to dumbfoundedly wait at the side for his hot chocolate and free panini while Jimin continues serving customers. After a few minutes, Jimin gestures for the girl making the drinks to take the counter for a minute. Yoongi half-expects her to roll her eyes at him or complain, because that’s likely what he would do in this situation, but instead she grins at him, gesturing for him to leave before she turns to the next customer.

“She seemed happy,” Yoongi comments in confusion as Jimin leads him through a set of staff doors.

“That’s Sana,” Jimin explains. “I’ve mentioned her before, I think? She’s really good at customer service, always smiling and giving off positive energy.”

“That seems to be a trend with the employees here.”

Jimin grins. “Thank you. I’ll pass on the compliments in the staff room. Or I guess you could do that now.” He pushes open another door and waves at Taehyung, who’s lounging on one of the two sofas in the room. “You know Yoongi.”

Yoongi smiles awkwardly. “Hi. I don’t think I’m meant to be in here.” He looks around to see a water cooler, a shelf full of mugs, a box of cookies in the corner and, most intimidatingly, a ‘Staff Only’ sign on the wall right in front of him.

Taehyung shrugs off his concerns easily. “What the bosses don’t know can’t hurt them. Anyway, I bring Jungkook in here all the time.”

Jimin laughs when Yoongi stays stock still in the doorway. “Seriously, relax. We’re not meant to bring customers in here but bringing friends is fine.” He looks at Yoongi hopefully. “We’re friends, right? I mean, you seem friendly.”

That comment cuts through Yoongi’s nervousness. He laughs out loud. “That’s the first time I’ve been told that. But sure, I’ll sit with you. Thanks for the panini, by the way.” He sits beside Jimin and takes the food out of the cardboard packaging, ripping it half to help it cool down.

“Free food? Now that’s _definitely_ not allowed,” Taehyung says, but Jimin shushes him.

“I’ll cover it,” he insists. “It’s only breaking the law if no one pays.”

“Did either of you actually read your employment contracts?” Yoongi says dubiously.

“We’re good employees,” Taehyung grins. “Don’t diss the people who give you free things.”

“A rule to live by,” Yoongi nods in agreement.

“Talking of contracts, though, aren’t you meant to still be working?” Taehyung says, looking at Jimin curiously.

“Oh shit,” he says, jumping back up and rushing out of the room.

Yoongi stares after him in surprise. He swallows a bite of his panini before asking Taehyung, “Seriously, what am I doing here?”

Taehyung shrugs. “You tell me.”

Yoongi sighs resignedly. “I guess it started with the rain this morning. I just don’t want to go outside again if I can help it.”

“You need an umbrella,” Taehyung recommends.

“Very helpful to tell me that now,” Yoongi says flatly.

“If only your dry sense of humour could keep the rest of you dry, you’d be fine.”

Yoongi surprises himself by laughing.

“Anyway, you should ask Jimin. He might have an umbrella you can borrow and his shift doesn’t finish till 6.”

Yoongi takes Taehyung’s advice. When his lunch break is coming to an end, he goes out to the front of the café.

“Did you wait in line just to ask to borrow my umbrella?” Jimin chuckles a few minutes later when Yoongi reaches the counter.

“I wasn’t sure how else to ask you,” Yoongi answers hesitantly. “It felt rude to cut in.”

Jimin laughs. “Sure you can borrow it. I’m here until 6 anyway – do you think you could bring it back when you’re done?”

“Of course,” Yoongi replies. “I’m borrowing it, not stealing it.”

Jimin grins. “It’s somewhere back here…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered,” a girl says, poking her head round Jimin and proffering a dark green umbrella. “My name’s Sana,” she grins.

“Hi, Sana,” Yoongi replies with a smile. “I’ve been told lots about you.”

“Likewise,” Sana responds, eyes twinkling, and Jimin pushes her away.

“Sana will be getting on with work now,” Jimin says.

“How can I get on with work when you’re not taking any orders?” she retorts, followed by a giggle which softens the blow of her words.

“I’ll see you later?” Jimin says.

“As I said,” Yoongi smiles. “Borrowing, not stealing.”

*^.^*

As promised, Yoongi brings Jimin’s umbrella back at the end of the day. Sana appears to be the only person left in the café, wiping down the tables. “Shit, I thought you were a thief for a moment there!” Sana says when he walks in. “Leaving it right until closing time? Risky business.”

Yoongi shrugs. It’s only 6:03 – he’s not that late. “I needed it between classes. It isn’t like Jimin’s been outside in the meantime.”

“Very presumptuous of you,” Sana comments. Then Jimin comes out of the staff door and smiles.

“Hey, you brought it back!”

Yoongi stares at him in alarm. “You also thought I was a thief?”

“What?” Jimin frowns. “No, ignore Sana. She’s just trying to make trouble.”

“I feel I was misled about you,” Yoongi tells her. “People keep saying you’re really friendly, but you keep accusing me of things.”

Sana giggles in response. “I’m just having a bit of fun. Sorry, thought you could take it,” she says nonchalantly. She then takes off her apron, tying it up and heading through the staff door.

“She’s a bit insane,” Jimin says apologetically.

“Like everyone who works here,” Yoongi says reasonably.

Jimin snorts. “I guess so. So… are you planning to walk home in the rain?”

“There isn’t really another way,” Yoongi says. “Maybe it’ll stop by the time we leave.” He turns around hopefully to look out the window.

Snow.

Jimin looks at him in wonder, and if Yoongi didn’t know better he’d assume Jimin thought he changed the weather himself. “Oh my God, it’s snowing. I love the snow!”

Yoongi smiles. “I can see that.”

Jimin looks at him mischievously. “I believe I’m owed a snowball fight.”

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “You’re on.”

*^.^*

The snow is freezing, colder than Yoongi expected, but he doesn’t care. Because he’s _winning._ He grabs another handful of snow and squeezes it together until it’s tightly packed.

“They’re meant to be round, not cubes!” Jimin protests as he struggles to run away, slipping on the snow. “You’re cheating!”

Yoongi laughs hard. “You’re just mad because I’m quicker at making snowballs than you.”

It has to be the most childish walk home he’s had in about 10 years. But he can’t deny how much fun he’s having.

“They’re called snowballs, not snow rocks!” Jimin protests. He pauses for a moment, gasping as he tries to catch his breath. “I think you’re trying to kill me.” Then a snowball hits him square on the nose.

Jimin’s expression fills with rage, a look Yoongi didn’t even know he was capable of, and suddenly Yoongi is under attack. Jimin is hardly even bothering to make balls of snow, just picking up handfuls of snow and running close to him so he can throw them right in Yoongi’s face.

Yoongi can’t stop laughing. Which means snow also goes in his mouth.

“I’m so cold,” Yoongi says eventually. “Truce?”

Jimin laughs. “Only if you agree I won.”

That comment instigates a second round.

Eventually, they both start shivering so much that they agree to stop. Yoongi is rightfully crowned victorious.

“I live down this way,” Yoongi says, pointing down the street on the left. He expects that to be the moment they part ways, Jimin having shared earlier where he and his flatmates live together. Instead, Jimin says, “Okay,” and keeps walking with him.

“This was fun,” Jimin says when they reach Yoongi’s door.

“Yeah,” Yoongi breathes. For some reason, he doesn’t feel ready to get his keys out and go inside. It’s freezing out here, his body is protesting, but Jimin’s looking at him like that and he doesn’t want to leave. He doesn’t want tonight to be over so soon.

Yoongi watches as a snowflake falls on to Jimin’s nose and settles there.

God, he’s even more attractive up close.

When did they get so close?

Jimin smiles gently. “You’ve got a snowflake on your eyelash.”

“Oh.”

Jimin reaches up to brush it away, then his hand brushes past Yoongi’s cheek. Yoongi’s breath hitches.

Jimin leans closer.

The door opens all of a sudden and Yoongi and Jimin jump apart.

“Hi. I saw you get to the door and then I didn’t hear anything, so I thought maybe you’d misplaced your keys?”

Yoongi looks to the person stood in the doorway. Tall, with brown hair a little darker than Jimin’s and a similarly soft face. He’s smiling hesitantly.

“Oh, hi. You must be Seokjin.”

Seokjin chuckles. “That’s me. Uh – if you weren’t ready to come inside, I’ll just leave this open for you…” He slowly backs away from the door.

Yoongi turns to Jimin, embarrassed. “I’ll see you soon?”

Jimin nods. “Yeah. See you.”

He watches as Jimin walks away, then he goes inside. Yoongi closes the front door and almost bangs his head against it.

“I’m sorry,” Seokjin says, loitering by the staircase. “I didn’t realise I was interrupting a moment.”

Yoongi turns to him in surprise. He half expected Seokjin to disappear again and not surface for another 3 months. “No, it’s okay. It’s… whatever.”

He trudges up the stairs and screams into his pillow for a few seconds, before having a well-deserved nap.

*^.^*

It’s still snowing the next day. Yoongi decides it isn’t worth braving the cold weather, especially without an umbrella he can use to guard his body, so he skips all his classes and stays inside. He doesn’t have any workshops today, he reasons. All his lectures will be posted online later and he can catch up.

He ends up spending most of the day on the sofa downstairs in his pyjamas, headphones on as he stares at his laptop. He’s trying to produce something coherent out of the beats and guitar riffs he’s chosen so far. It’s a little more challenging than he expected. Who would’ve thought a Masters degree would be such hard work?

At least Hoseok is there to keep him company – also in his pyjamas on the sofa as they work together in silence. (Namjoon is one hundred percent judging them when he gets back from campus that evening.)

This becomes a pattern for the next couple days, Yoongi deciding that staying inside and enjoying the snow from inside his house is preferable to confronting it outside. Until, of course, he gets a text from Jimin.

Hoseok’s eyebrows are raised practically to his hair line when he sees Yoongi decked out in his coat and scarf. “What’s so important that you’re actually going out in this weather?” he asks. He checks his watch: 4:15. “Do you have a workshop soon or something?”

Yoongi can feel himself blushing and he wishes his body would stop betraying him. “Jimin invited me over.”

Hoseok’s eyebrows lift impossibly higher. “Well have fun. Don’t freeze on the way there.”

*^.^*

“Hi, I’m glad you could make it,” Jimin grins, letting him inside. It isn’t the first time Yoongi’s seen him without the reindeer antlers, but it is the first time he’s seen Jimin dressed so casually, in his home setting. A rush of nerves pulses through him and Yoongi tries to swallow it down.

“Me too,” he replies. “It’s practically a blizzard out there.”

Jimin laughs. “It’s not that bad. Do you want to come through to the kitchen? I’ll make something to warm you up.”

Yoongi follows Jimin into the kitchen to find the TV on in the corner of the room, a girl sat there watching from the sofa. The room reminds Yoongi a little of his own house setup: the kitchen and living area are combined into one. But while Yoongi’s place has more separation between the kitchen and living area, Jimin’s kitchen is more integrated; the counterspace opposite the stove backs onto the sofa, so the TV can be seen from the counter.

(Yoongi decides that he’s only a little jealous that Jimin’s 3rd year house is much more spacious than his 4th year house. Also, Yoongi doesn’t have a TV. But still. Only a _little_ jealous.)

The girl on the sofa turns around when she hears footsteps. “Hi, Jimin. Oh – hi, you’re new.”

Jimin smiles shyly. “Jeongyeon, this is Yoongi. Yoongi, this is my flatmate Jeongyeon.”

Jeongyeon waves at him in greeting and then turns back to the TV.

“I hope you don’t mind the TV on in here,” Jimin says, voice deliberately quieter. “We can move somewhere else once the drinks are done, if you’d prefer.”

“No, it’s nice,” Yoongi says. “It’s sociable. My place tends to be pretty dead until 6:15 when people start getting back from campus.”

Jimin’s expression shifts to one of surprise. “Long contact hours.”

“You’re telling me.”

Jimin gets out two mugs from his cupboard, and Yoongi holds back a laugh at the sight. One is shaped like a snowman, with a ceramic hat that can sit atop it to keep the drink warm. The other is covered in gingerbread men and sparkles.

“Are you _sure_ your favourite holiday is New Year?” Yoongi teases.

Jimin laughs. “There isn’t any New Year paraphernalia. It isn’t my fault.” He gets out the hot chocolate powder next, then blushes slightly when he sees Yoongi’s face. “I just assumed. It’s kind of your staple drink by this point? But if you want something else, let me know.”

Yoongi shakes his head, a small smile settling on his face. “Make whatever you want. I think I’ll probably like it.”

Jimin chuckles. “Okay. I’m going to attempt a cinnamon vanilla hot chocolate,”

Yoongi frowns. “Do you have powder for that?” He didn’t realise home hot chocolates could be so elaborate these days.

“I have syrups, remember?” Jimin says proudly, getting them out of his cupboard with a flourish. Not only that, but he also has a stencil. “For dusting cocoa powder on top,” he explains as he finishes off the drinks a few minutes later, sprinkling powder on top of both their drinks. He moves the stencil and Yoongi leans over to see the finished product: three cocoa powder stars sit cosily on top of the drink.

“That looks impressive,” Yoongi comments.

Jimin laughs. “Thanks. It’s all for show, really, but the stencil just adds a fun touch which I feel like I miss out on otherwise. Right, which cup do you want?”

Yoongi hesitates for a moment before picking the one with the gingerbread men.

“Big decision,” Jimin says as Yoongi takes the cup in his hands. “I saw you hesitate. You took a snowman takeaway cup at Costa, I recall, but today you like the gingerbread men more. Very interesting.”

“It was a tough choice,” Yoongi acknowledges, trying to stay serious. (He can’t quite tell if Jimin is joking or not.) “But the sparkles were calling to me.”

Jimin laughs. “Sana got that one for me. I’ll have to tell her you like it.”

“I definitely like the mug,” Yoongi agrees. “Now we just need to see about the drink.”

Jimin hums, and Yoongi is surprised to note that he looks a little nervous. “It’s no Costa, but I’ve done my best.”

Yoongi takes a sip of the drink and immediately hums in appreciation. The hot chocolate is _warm,_ not just because of the temperature but because of the depth of flavour and the thought that’s gone into it. It’s milky and creamy and, somewhat predictably by this point, tastes like a hug on a cold winter’s day. “It’s really good. It tastes less corporate – more like you.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow. “It tastes like me?”

Yoongi blushes but stands his ground. “It has a Jimin vibe, that’s all I’m saying.”

Jimin laughs. “I’ll take your word for it. Here – take a brownie as well.” Yoongi looks back at the counter in surprise. There’s a pile of homemade brownies in the corner that he didn’t notice before.

Jeongyeon turns around from where she’s sat facing the TV. “Don’t have too many!”

“Don’t be greedy, I made them,” Jimin responds. “You’ve already had about 5 of them.”

Jeongyeon laughs. “No I didn’t, I’ve just had 2. The others must have been Mina.”

“Mina isn’t here today,” Jimin says, one eyebrow raised. “She’s working on a group project with some coursemates.”

Jeongyeon sighs, the sound a cross between defeat and annoyance. “Why’s she always so quiet? I never know if she’s home or not.”

Jimin laughs. “You mean you never know if you can blame things on her.”

“Same difference,” Jeongyeon replies. “You guys coming to sit? We can change the channel if you want. It’s on some random quiz show.”

“Thank God Nayeon isn’t here,” Jimin points out.

“Yeah,” Jeongyeon laughs. She turns around again to face Yoongi. “Nayeon’s our flatmate, super competitive. You can’t watch a gameshow without her trying to get all the answers right.”

“She talks over the whole thing,” Jimin explains.

“While the rest of us feel very stupid,” Jeongyeon finishes. She waves the control in the air enticingly. “So, you want to watch?”

“Sure, why not?” Yoongi replies, looking to Jimin for confirmation. They sit down with their drinks and brownies and promptly join Jeongyeon in getting all the questions wrong.

At some point, they hear the front door open, then a minute later a voice says, “Hi, guys.”

“Hi!” Jimin turns around with a big smile. “I made brownies, help yourself.”

“Where have you been, Mina?” Jeongyeon complains. “You left the light on in your room so I thought you were still at home.”

“Sorry,” Mina chuckles. “What did you try to blame on me this time?”

“5 brownies, Mina,” Jimin says seriously. “Try one while you still can. Actually, Yoongi,” he says, turning to him, “maybe you should take a couple to go. They’ll probably all disappear soon.”

“Are you sure?” Yoongi says. “I don’t want to deprive Jeongyeon.”

Jeongyeon grins. “I like this guy.”

Jimin laughs. “She’s had plenty. Maybe your flatmates would want to try them, too?”

“That’s really nice of you. Thanks.”

Mina appears in front of the TV, holding a small plate with a brownie on it. “You’re Yoongi, I’m guessing? I’m Mina, the least troublesome flatmate.”

Yoongi smiles at the introduction. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” She pokes Jeongyeon to budge up and joins them on the sofa. (Yoongi is definitely not thinking about how his and Jimin’s thighs are now touching. He’s focused solely on his cinnamon vanilla hot chocolate and the gameshow on TV.) “What are we watching?”

“It’s called _The Chase_ , I think,” Jeongyeon replies. “It’s pretty good so far.”

“Quiz show?” Mina asks.

“Yep,” Jimin replies. “Before you ask, I think Nayeon’s out. She would’ve come joined us by now if she’d heard us talking.”

“Do you guys remember when we went to the uni pub quiz last year?” Jeongyeon asks, and the other two groan. “Nayeon got so mad at us when we didn’t know anything,” she explains to Yoongi.

“She apologised afterwards,” Mina says reasonably.

“She did,” Jimin agrees. “She bought us all a cake because she felt bad for being rude. You remember that, Jeongyeon?”

Jeongyeon cackles.

“She ate pretty much the whole thing,” Jimin says quietly to Yoongi, who laughs. “We didn’t realise at that point how much of a sweet tooth Jeongyeon had, and we were living with a couple other people too who were really elusive. So we just accepted that they’d had it.”

“You should stop blaming other people for your bad habits,” Mina says conversationally to Jeongyeon.

“Maybe,” she acknowledges. “But where would be the fun in that?”

*^.^*

“Thanks for coming,” Jimin says as Yoongi grabs his coat later in the evening. “My flatmates are a bit mad, but I hope you had fun.”

Yoongi laughs. “Mad is good. They were very entertaining. Jeongyeon is setting the chocoholic bar high, by the way. 6 brownies in one night?”

“It was only 5,” Jimin says.

Yoongi shakes his head. “She snuck another one while you were in the bathroom.”

Jimin laughs. “And she didn’t think to swear you to secrecy? That was a serious oversight.”

Yoongi shrugs, a wry smile on his face. “I may have betrayed her.”

Jimin grins. “Can’t say she didn’t deserve it. That reminds me, you need to take some of these home.”

“I really don’t have to –”

Jimin is already taking out a plastic container from his cupboard and packing 4 brownies away for him. “Seriously, I want you to. Especially for Seokjin the chef,” he says, eyes twinkling. “I’d like to hear his verdict.”

“If I ever see him again, I’ll be sure to pass on his thoughts,” Yoongi says seriously.

Jimin chuckles, handing him the container, and they walk to the door. “I can walk you home,” he offers.

Yoongi laughs, shaking his head. “I’m only 10 minutes away.”

“But the cold seems to bother you,” Jimin shrugs. “I thought maybe it’d be better with some company.”

Yoongi bites back another smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got my hat and scarf and my trusty old coat.”

“Do you need gloves?” Jimin asks. “I have some spare. Wait, don’t answer, you’ll probably say no. I’ll be right back.”

Yoongi loiters by the front door for Jimin to come back downstairs and almost has a heart attack when the door opens. He jumps back in shock, then waves awkwardly. “Hi. I’m Yoongi.”

The girl grins widely. “I’m Nayeon. You know, Jimin’s talked so much about you –”

“That’s enough of that!” Jimin announces, running down the stairs at record speed. He smiles awkwardly at Yoongi. “The gloves.” He thrusts them in Yoongi’s direction and Yoongi takes them, a little bewildered.

“Thanks.” He turns to Nayeon. “It’s nice to meet you. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon.”

Nayeon winks at him. Yes, winks. (Yoongi stares at her, trying to work out if his brain is playing tricks on him or if that actually just happened.) “Oh, I’m sure you will.”

“Brownies in the kitchen, Nayeon,” Jimin informs her.

“And you didn’t set one aside for me?” she asks in shock, demeanour immediately changing. She throws off her coat and scarf, hanging them on the banister before rushing to the kitchen. “If they’re all gone already…” they hear her say, before the kitchen door falls closed and her voice fades into the background.

“You’ve got some true characters here,” Yoongi says.

“Don’t we know it,” Jimin agrees. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course. Thanks for the gloves,” he adds, putting them on. Jimin opens the door for him and he walks outside into the fresh air. It’s quite chilly outside and Yoongi quickly realises the gloves were a good idea. He’s pleasantly surprised with how easily they slip onto his fingers: his and Jimin’s hands must be quite similar sizes.

He wonders what it would feel like to hold his hand.

(It would be weird to observe Jimin’s hands are the next time he sees him, right? Or would it just be confirming a scientific theory? You know, to see how well their hands would fit together. It’s surely justifiable in the name of science.)

Jimin waves from the door and Yoongi smiles back at him, then starts the walk home.

*^.^*

Winter is Jimin’s favourite season and Yoongi is starting to see why. The air outside is cold, biting at his skin, but being with Jimin makes him feel warm. He makes the air smell like cinnamon and ginger and makes the scenery look like snowmen and twinkling lights. Yoongi thinks of Jimin and he thinks of chocolate cups, reindeer antlers and hot chocolate with cream. He thinks of snowball fights with woolly gloves. Being with Jimin is like a breath of fresh air, like a warm hug in the winter cold.

*^.^*

“What’s the big deal?” Yoongi sighs as they enter Costa.

“I didn’t realise you were so close,” Hoseok reasons. “Going to his house for the evening? Having drinks, food…”

“It was hot chocolate and a brownie,” Yoongi responds. “Don’t make this out to be something it isn’t.”

“You mean a raging crush?” Hoseok says, wiggling his eyebrows.

Yoongi tries to hold in his eye roll as they walk up to the counter. At this point he almost hopes Jimin won’t be the one serving them.

But still… when Yoongi catches sight of the antlers, he can’t help but smile. “Hi there.”

“Hi Yoongi!” Jimin grins. “Fancied a more corporate hot chocolate today?”

Yoongi chuckles. “Something like that. This is my friend Hoseok.”

Hoseok grins, waving idiotically. “Fantastic to meet you, Jimin.”

“You too,” Jimin responds. “What can I get for you?”

“Do you have any romantic drinks?” Hoseok asks, leaning forwards.

Jimin squints at him. “We don’t serve the Valentine’s Specials until February. But we have some seasonal options right now; they’re on the board above.”

“We’ll take a medium Irish velvet hot chocolate and a medium gingerbread hot chocolate, please,” Yoongi decides.

Hoseok frowns, staring at the menu board. “Gingerbread hot chocolate isn’t on the menu, Yoongi.”

“That’s no problem, I’ve got the syrup right here,” Jimin reassures him.

Hoseok gives Yoongi a look. “Special treatment,” he says with an approving nod.

“He has the syrup,” Yoongi repeats tiredly. “It’s easy to make when you have the ingredients. What’s up with you?”

“Any extras or snacks?” Jimin asks.

“No thanks,” Hoseok smiles.

“We’re good,” Yoongi confirms.

Jimin nods slowly, staring at Yoongi to analyse his answer, and his decision is made in a split second. “I’m adding cream to the Irish velvet.”

Yoongi frowns. “Jimin, no –”

“Whoops, can’t hear you past my reindeer ears!” Jimin interrupts unapologetically, turning to the drinks machine.

“They’re antlers, not ears,” Yoongi mumbles, but his words are ignored.

“So… no special treatment?” Hoseok says pointedly, giving Yoongi another teasing look.

Yoongi sighs. “He likes to make customers happy.”

Hoseok laughs. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

Yoongi’s phone starts ringing and he takes it out of his pocket. “You’ll have to; my dad’s calling.” He picks up the call and his expression turns sour within moments.

“What is it?” Hoseok asks.

Yoongi shushes him. “No, I haven’t checked lately. Why?” He pauses, looking more disgruntled by the second. “Is it because of the snow?”

Hoseok pokes him and Yoongi explains, “Trains have been cancelled. I might not be able to get home.”

Hoseok blinks, shocked. Before he can respond, Yoongi’s back on the phone.

“Hang on, it’s loud over here. Give me a second.” He looks back to Hoseok and says, “Hey, could you pay? Thanks.” He’s walking away before Hoseok can protest.

Jimin turns to Hoseok hesitantly. “I can wait to take payment, if that helps? It doesn’t seem fair to dump it on you.”

Hoseok smiles. “Thanks, but I think Yoongi would disagree. He’ll do anything to get things for free.”

Jimin chuckles. “I see. Maybe I shouldn’t encourage it.”

Hoseok snorts. “If you’ve been giving him the cream for free, don’t stop now. He’ll feel betrayed.”

Jimin hums. “Fair point.” He turns away to finish off the drinks, then turns back to Hoseok when he’s done. He checks there are no other customers waiting before asking, “Is Yoongi still on the phone?”

Hoseok nods. “It’s his family. He might be talking for a while.”

“Oh, really?” Jimin says, vaguely surprised. “I didn’t realise they were so close.”

Hoseok shakes his head. “Oh, Yoongi’s a true home boy. He’s going to be devastated if he can’t get home for Christmas.”

Jimin frowns in thought. “I mention my family quite a lot, but Yoongi’s never really brought his up. I guess I assumed he felt indifferent towards them.”

“He’s like that,” Hoseok agrees. “The tsundere type. He might seem like he doesn’t care but he cares a lot. Always been like that.”

Jimin chuckles. “How long have you know him?”

“Since we were about 4,” Hoseok answers. “Been friends as long as we could talk. I was the one who convinced him to join me at uni over here for his Masters.”

Jimin grins. “You really know him inside and out then.”

Hoseok shrugs. “I don’t know about that. Some parts of that man will always be a mystery. I kind of think that’s one of his charms.”

Yoongi walks back over and they both turn to him.

“Any luck?” Hoseok asks.

Yoongi shakes his head, lips pursed. “Looks like the trains won’t be running for at least the next few days. I was meant to leave this weekend,” he sighs.

“So stay a bit longer,” Hoseok suggests easily. “You’ve got time before Christmas – December only started today. Change your train and hopefully they’ll have sorted it by next week.”

*^.^*

“What were you and Yoongi talking about earlier? It seemed kind of intense,” Taehyung says to Jimin when they’re in the staff room. They’re on lunch break, scoffing sandwiches from the café down the road. (Maybe it’s disrespectful to Costa in some way, but there are only so many paninis and toasties you can serve before getting sick of them.)

“Yoongi’s stuck at university indefinitely,” Jimin explains. “With all the snow lately, the trains have been cancelled.”

“Oh shit,” Taehyung says. “I had no idea.”

“Neither did I,” Jimin replies. “But why would we? You’re staying here over Christmas too, right?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung smiles. “Me and Jungkook want to experience it together. Maybe it’s a bit antisocial, but I think it’ll be nice to do something more understated for once.”

Jimin chuckles. “Yeah, your family’s kind of crazy when it comes to the festivities. Mine is too – I guess that’s where I get it from.”

“You don’t say,” Taehyung scoffs. “How do you think Christmas with your flatmates this year will compare?”

“God, I don’t know,” Jimin mutters. He takes another bite of his sandwich. “Jeongyeon will probably try to eat everything before it can even reach the table. I bet Nayeon will want to play some Christmas games and get mad if she doesn’t win… Mina should be chill, though. We agreed we’d all help out with the cooking and put on Christmas music all day. It should be fun.”

“That sounds cool,” Taehyung agrees. “Minus the cooking part, it seems like something I’d want to join in with. But Jungkook and I are fully booked for Christmas.”

Jimin laughs. “Oh yeah? What are your plans?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Taehyung says confidently. “My plan is to leave all the organisation to Jungkook, then sit back and relax.”

“He’s so lucky to have you,” Jimin deadpans.

“Right? No, but seriously, Christmas with your flat would be such a laugh. It’s kind of a shame I can’t do both.”

“You act as if you were invited in the first place,” Jimin says pointedly. Then he pauses. “But you’re right. One day for Christmas isn’t enough, is it?”

Taehyung frowns. “What are you getting at here?”

“A Christmas party,” Jimin says, his eyes lighting up as he thinks it over. “A bit earlier than Christmas day, and everyone’s invited. Close enough to Christmas that everyone’s in the holiday spirit. But soon enough that Yoongi can come too.”

*^.^*

“Absolutely yes,” Nayeon says. “More partying is always a good thing.”

Jeongyeon snorts. “I’m down, too. But only if you make your chocolate cups. Hey, does this mean we can go decoration shopping?”

“I love decoration shopping,” Mina smiles.

“So you’re all up for it?” Jimin asks hopefully.

“Of course,” Nayeon says. “Especially if you’re inviting your boy Yoongi,” she adds with a ridiculous wink.

“He’s not my boy,” Jimin says.

“You’re lying,” Jeongyeon tells him.

“I’m not!” Jimin protests. Why does his face always betray him like this? “He really isn’t. I haven’t asked him out yet.”

“You haven’t?” Nayeon says in surprise. “But he was falling all over you that time he visited. What are you waiting for?”

Jimin blushes when he realises how cheesy his next words will be. “The perfect moment.”

Jeongyeon chuckles. “The perfect moment is whenever you make it.”

“Maybe the perfect moment will be at the party,” Mina suggests.

Jimin smiles hopefully. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”

*^.^*

“So what did you want to do?” Yoongi asks as they walk around campus. It’s Thursday afternoon, the day of Seokjin’s surprise party, and Yoongi has been tasked with keeping Seokjin busy while Hoseok and Namjoon get the house all set up. There’ll be a birthday banner, balloons, cake…

Apparently, Yoongi is the best person to distract Seokjin today. In Namjoon’s words, _he hardly knows you, so he’s less likely to notice if you’re acting suspicious._ It’s a solid theory. Except for the fact that Yoongi is infamously not very good at socialisation and he now has to communicate for many hours with someone he’s hardly spoken to.

“Maybe we should go to the pool tables on campus?” Seokjin suggests. “I haven’t played there in a while, but I went there all the time last year.”

“Sure,” Yoongi nods. “I don’t actually know the area. You lead the way.”

They’re walking along as Yoongi tries desperately to make conversation. “How’s your week been?”

“Okay,” Seokjin says. “Deadlines have been crazy. But I’m taking a bit of time off work today for my birthday.”

“It’s your birthday today?” Yoongi says in surprise. He didn’t realise the party was planned for the actual day itself.

Although he supposes now it makes more sense that the party’s on a Thursday.

“Yeah,” Seokjin says. He falters, then gives Yoongi a kind smile. “Don’t worry, I don’t think the others realised, either. Nobody’s said anything to me.”

Yoongi fights down a feeling of guilt. Even though they’ve got something fun planned for tonight, he knows it isn’t fun spending your whole birthday feeling like nobody even realises. He hopes tonight will make up for it.

“Well happy birthday,” Yoongi says determinedly. “It may not have been your first choice to spend it with me, but…”

Seokjin chuckles. “That’s actually why I hesitated at first. When you asked me the other day? It wasn’t because I didn’t want to hang out with you; I just thought I might have some other things to do today.” At Yoongi’s startled expression, Seokjin continues softly, “I heard you and Namjoon talking about it in the kitchen.”

“So this is why I never see you,” Yoongi says in realisation. “You prefer to eavesdrop than join in with the conversation.”

Seokjin laughs. “That’s not fair. It’s a little different when you’re talking _about_ me.”

Yoongi thinks of all the times they discussed Seokjin’s party, thinking he wasn’t around, and a feeling of doubt creeps in as to whether it will actually be a surprise. But they’re here now – Yoongi might as well keep up appearances as best he can until tonight.

*^.^*

They’re heading away from the pool tables, both 2 beers down, when they run into Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook. “Hey, Yoongi!” Jimin calls over.

Yoongi smiles and waves him over. “Hey, guys.”

Then, to his surprise, Jungkook says, “Hey Seokjin! I didn’t realise you knew Yoongi.”

Yoongi blinks at them. “You two know each other?”

“Yeah, we met through Korean Society,” Jungkook explains. “You were at the Chuseok celebration in October, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Seokjin grins. “Jungkook, was it? Oh – and _Taehyung,_ of course. I hardly recognised you without the glitter on your face.”

Taehyung laughs. “I only wear glitter on special occasions. Well, and every day for work.”

Jungkook snorts at him.

“Have we met too?” Seokjin asks Jimin. “You seem really familiar. Were you at the Korean Society Chuseok celebration as well?”

“Actually, I work at the Costa on campus,” Jimin replies. “I think I remember you – didn’t you come in last week with –”

Seokjin chuckles awkwardly, interrupting him. “Don’t worry, I was getting you confused with someone else.”

Yoongi watches Seokjin’s reaction in confusion. Is he always this weird?

“So how do you know Yoongi?” Jungkook asks Seokjin.

“We’re flatmates,” Seokjin explains.

“Shit, no way,” Jungkook says. “Yoongi, you have the coolest flatmates.”

Yoongi smiles slightly in response. (If only he knew Seokjin as well as everyone else seems to. Hopefully today will help to remedy that.)

“What have you been up to today?” Taehyung asks.

“We just finished playing pool,” Seokjin answers. “It’s actually my birthday today.”

“No way, man, happy birthday!” Jungkook cheers.

“Yeah, happy birthday,” Taehyung echoes. “Any plans for the big day?”

Seokjin shrugs, a small smile on his face. “I called my parents earlier and talked to one of my friends back home in the afternoon. Then Yoongi invited me out here. I guess that’s it.”

“What?” Taehyung says, aghast. “You can’t just go home on the evening of your birthday. Let’s go _out._ ”

 _Shit_ , Yoongi panics inwardly. _They’re going to jeopardise the whole plan._

“I can’t go out tonight, I have an early morning tomorrow,” Seokjin says regretfully.

Yoongi breathes a sigh of relief. So it looks like they made the right decision on that one.

“Nonsense,” Taehyung says. “We’re taking you out on the best night of your life.”

“No, I really can’t,” Seokjin chuckles. “But I appreciate the thought.”

“Please forgive my friends, they’re addicted to parties and alcohol,” Jimin contributes.

Seokjin laughs, more genuine this time. “I can’t say I wasn’t once the same. If only I wasn’t so sensible nowadays then I might take you up on the offer.”

 _Don’t be insensible,_ Yoongi tries to transmit to him telepathically. _Your reckless days are over. Be a sensible man, Seokjin. You want to go home tonight._

“Okay, then let me at least buy you a drink,” Jungkook insists. “It’s just gone 6pm, you can justifiably start drinking now.”

“We’ve had a couple beers already,” Seokjin replies.

Jungkook grins. “Then one more won’t hurt.” And at that point, Yoongi knows they won’t be leaving the bar any time soon.

*^.^*

The five of them are walking back to Yoongi and Seokjin’s place, ever so slightly tipsy, when Yoongi takes Jimin aside. “I have to tell you something,” he mumbles. “I didn’t know how to mention it in front of the others without giving things away.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“We have something planned for Seokjin,” Yoongi replies. He lowers his voice even more. _“Act surprised_.”

Jimin frowns. “I’m pretty sure I _will_ be surprised. Yoongi, how many beers did you have?”

Yoongi laughs in response. Shit, he may be a little more than tipsy.

Jimin smiles at him, shaking his head. “Okay, so. Surprise. Let me think about this. Do we need to tell Hoseok you’re on your way back?”

“Yes!” Yoongi says. “Great idea.” That was part of the original plan, of course, but it may have slipped his mind somehow. He gets out his phone and texts: _5 minutes. Get ready._

“So what are your friends going to say when they realise Seokjin’s invited 3 friends back to his place to celebrate tonight?” Jimin smirks.

“Hopefully just ‘join the party’,” Yoongi responds. There should be 15 or so people coming already. Hoseok and Namjoon teamed together to find Seokjin’s closest friends at university and invite them along.

It isn’t like Yoongi didn’t _try_ to hint to the others that they should let him and Seokjin go home in peace. But Jungkook and Taehyung insisted Seokjin shouldn’t spend his birthday evening on his own. They do have a point, and it’s very kind of them, especially since they don’t know Seokjin that well. They just don’t know that Seokjin already _has_ plans.

Soon enough, they’re outside Yoongi’s front door and Seokjin is telling their friends, “No, no, come on in! You didn’t walk all this way for nothing. Let’s put on some music and have some more drinks.”

 _Well, at least Namjoon’s music playlist and Hoseok’s alcohol-themed shopping trip won’t go to waste_ , Yoongi considers as he struggles to unlock the door. His other flatmates clearly know Seokjin well.

Finally, he’s able to unlock the door. “After you, Seokjin,” Yoongi says smoothly.

Seokjin steps forward and pushes the door open.

“Surprise!” a crowd of people cheer. The lights come on and Happy Birthday starts playing over Namjoon’s speakers.

“Oh my God,” Seokjin whispers. Then he turns to Yoongi. “Yoongi, did you know about this?”

Yoongi grins. “Maybe.”

Seokjin laughs – it’s the happiest and most excited he’s sounded all day. “This is amazing! Thank you guys so much!” He raises his voice, shouting across the room, “Are you all ready to get hammered?!”

Namjoon approaches them with a wary look and takes Yoongi aside. “Yoongi, we said keep him occupied. Not get him drunk.”

Yoongi blinks. “Is Seokjin drunk?”

Namjoon sighs. “He’s definitely not sober. And apparently, neither are you. I wasn’t aware you were bringing your own guests, either.” He turns to Jimin, who’s stood next to Yoongi. “Hang on a minute, I know you…”

“Yeah,” Jimin smiles. “I work at Costa?”

“Oh,” Namjoon says in realisation. Then his eyes widen. “ _Oh._ Are you Jimin?”

Yoongi almost curses under his breath.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Jimin says, pleasantly surprised.

“Fantastic,” Namjoon says. “Take care of Yoongi, will you? He gets loud when he’s drunk. Get him some water.”

“Joon, I had like… 6 drinks –” Actually, that does sound like a lot now he’s saying it out loud.

“I’ll take care of Seokjin,” Namjoon continues, before disappearing into the crowd of people.

“I promise I’m not drunk,” Yoongi tells Jimin seriously. “Although I’m definitely tipsy.”

Jimin laughs. “I believe you. Come on, let’s go have fun. Nothing like an impromptu house party, right?”

“Actually, it was pre-planned –”

“I get the concept, Yoongi,” Jimin shushes him quietly, leading him to the kitchen.

“So you’re sticking around for the party?” Yoongi checks.

“You bet,” Jimin grins. “I might not be as crazy as Taehyung and Jungkook, but you shouldn’t underestimate me, Yoongi. I know how to have a good time.”

*^.^*

It’s hours later, when most of the guests have gone home, that Jimin brings up the Christmas party. “We should do this again,” Seokjin is groaning. “I’ve missed having fun. 4th year is so disheartening.”

“You should come to my flat’s Christmas party,” Jimin suggests. A seamless transition.

Seokjin perks up, sitting a little straighter where he’s been slouched on the sofa. “When is it?”

“Saturday 20th,” Jimin says. “Will you be around?”

Seokjin nods. “I’m free. I’m staying here over Christmas.”

“You are?” Yoongi asks in surprise. “How do I still not know anything about you?” he mumbles, mainly to himself.

“I’m staying here too,” Namjoon offers.

Yoongi sighs. “My lack of knowledge can’t surprise me anymore.”

“Are we invited?” Jungkook asks hopefully.

“Of course,” Jimin responds, shoving Jungkook’s shoulder. “What a stupid question. But bring your own alcohol – I’m not funding your bad habit.”

Taehyung hides a laugh in Jungkook’s shoulder.

“I wish I could come too,” Hoseok says sadly. “I’m getting my flight home on the 17th.”

 _At least someone’s able to go home,_ Yoongi thinks to himself bitterly. Then he tries to snap himself out of it. Clearly the alcohol has mostly worn off by now and he’s back to his grumpy self.

“That’s fine, we’ll have more parties next term,” Jimin reassures Hoseok easily. “Yoongi, do you think you can make it?” he continues hopefully.

Yoongi peers through the window outside. The snow is falling steadily with no sign of stopping. “Well I’m probably not doing anything else,” he admits.

Jimin grins. “Perfect.”

*^.^*

It’s another few days until Jimin and Yoongi see each other again.

“Happy first official day of the holidays,” Yoongi says when he sees Jimin at the front counter.

“You too,” Jimin chuckles. His reindeer antlers wobble about.

“Have you got stars on your cheeks?” Yoongi asks, looking at him closer.

Jimin blushes. “I have. Sana did it for me. Apparently the closer we get to Christmas, the more festive we have to get.”

“I don’t make the rules!” Sana pipes up from where she’s cleaning the drinks machine.

Yoongi grins. “Anyway, how was the end of term? I completely forgot I had a deadline yesterday. That party on Thursday really screwed me over.”

Yoongi half-expects Jimin to question whether it was really the party that screwed him over or his own bad organisation. But instead he says, “Deadlines after the end of term? Now that’s cruel.”

“I know.”

“So what are you doing this week? If you can’t go home?”

Yoongi shrugs. “Hopefully actually spending some time with my flatmates. You know Thursday was the first time I properly talked to Seokjin? On his birthday of all days. I need to up my socialisation game.”

Jimin smiles. “You’ve always seemed pretty friendly to me.”

“I think you’re the only one,” Yoongi says seriously. “Anyway. Besides that, Christmas films and a lot of complaining about the trains.”

“They’re still not running, huh?”

“Nope.” Yoongi glances out the window at the snow falling down. “I know you like the snow, but seriously, Jimin. If it doesn’t stop soon I’m going to go crazy.”

Jimin smirks. “Just try to enjoy it while you can. You’ll be sad when it disappears again.”

“Trust me, I won’t.”

“You up for another snowball fight soon?” Jimin asks. “Now that I’m finally free from contact hours, I think it’s about time we have a rematch. I maintain that last time wasn’t a fair fight.”

Yoongi chuckles. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Jimin smiles back. He stands there just looking at Yoongi for a moment, blissfully unaware, until Sana pokes him in the back. “Jimin, are you actually going to take his order?”

“Oh shit,” Jimin mutters, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. “Sorry. Long day.”

Yoongi stifles a laugh. It’s only 10:30.

“So what can I get you today?”

*^.^*

Jimin is on his way into work a few days later when his phone rings. “Oh, hey,” he says in surprise as he answers it. “You’re up early.”

“I haven’t slept yet,” Yoongi responds. “I’ve been trying to sort out my train back home for Christmas. Things are up and running again, but that means there’s been an insane rush on the ticket sales.”

“Sounds stressful,” Jimin comments. He tucks the phone in between his ear and his shoulder as he reaches for the keys to unlock the side door. Opening up the café on Saturday mornings definitely isn’t his favourite part of the job.

“Insanely stressful,” Yoongi agrees. “But I have good news! I managed to book a train. Seat reservation next to a power socket and everything.”

Jimin grins. “That’s great news!” He pushes open the door and gets inside, taking off his woolly hat with a flourish. “Especially the part about the power socket. I’m really glad you told me about that bit.”

“Don’t mock me,” Yoongi grumbles. “It’s been a long night.”

“I’m sure it has.” He leaves the door slightly ajar before heading to the staff room. It will let in the cold air, but Taehyung always complains if he isn’t able to just push open the door with his foot. He’s usually holding a takeaway coffee in each hand that he bought on the way. (The traitor.) But it’s forgivable, because he always gives one to Jimin free of charge. It’s one reason Jimin looks forward to morning shifts with him.

“But there’s some bad news, too,” Yoongi continues. “The train I managed to book is on the 18th.”

“Oh,” Jimin says. He plops down onto the staff room sofa, suddenly feeling deflated. He dumps his rucksack unceremoniously on the floor, watching as it topples over. “So you can’t make it to the party?”

Yoongi makes a noncommittal sound on the other end of the line, and Jimin knows that’s as good as a no. “I wish there was something I could do. I really was excited to come. Everything from the 19th onwards is fully booked – I guess it’s too close to Christmas.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin says. “It isn’t your fault.” Still, it sucks. Big time. He went shopping for party drinks and decorations with his flatmates last night and they were getting really excited. The party will still be fun, but it won’t be nearly as much fun without Yoongi.

“I know,” Yoongi replies. “But I still feel like I’m letting you down.”

“No,” Jimin says, shaking his head. He exhales, stopping himself from overthinking it any longer. “I’m glad you get to go home for Christmas. I know you were worried you wouldn’t make it back.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi hums. “Maybe we can have our own small celebration before I go.” He chuckles self-consciously. “I mean, if you want to. You still haven’t made me your chocolate cups.”

Jimin smiles shyly. “Sure. We’ll figure something out.” He checks the time. “I should go; I’m meant to be opening up soon.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

Jimin is sighing deeply to himself, phone balanced precariously in his lap, when Taehyung walks in. “Your coffee,” Taehyung says proudly, handing it over. “We’ve still got 10 minutes. Do you mind helping me with my Christmas face paint?”

“You can call it makeup,” Jimin tells him. He walks to the counter and picks up the eyeshadow palette hidden in the corner. “You don’t think Sana will mind us using this without her, do you? I know she likes to do it herself.”

“It’s fine,” Taehyung says easily. “What are we supposed to do when she isn’t here? _Not_ paint gold stars on our cheeks?”

Jimin laughs. “You make a good point.”

“You seem a bit less cheery today,” Taehyung comments as Jimin opens the palette, drawing the outline of a star under Taehyung’s left eye.

Jimin sighs. “It’s nothing.”

“When you say it’s nothing, that means it’s something,” Taehyung points out.

Jimin winces, regretting his choice of words. As Sana often tells him, he really is transparent. “Yoongi can’t make it to the party.”

Taehyung’s mouth falls open and Jimin snaps at him to stay still. “I thought it was all settled, though? He couldn’t get a train home.”

“Yeah, but he managed to book one last night,” Jimin says. “I’m pleased for him, I just… I wish his train was a little later.”

“You really had your hopes set on that party, huh?” Taehyung asks sympathetically.

Jimin nods mutely, finishing off the star before he puts the glitter palette back in the corner.

“Can’t you just make your move some other time?” Taehyung continues.

Jimin shrugs, defeated. “Maybe, but I had it all planned. I even –” He sighs. “I even bought mistletoe,” he says, shamefully taking it out of his bag.

Taehyung laughs. “Aw, Jiminie.”

“Don’t _aw Jiminie_ me,” snaps Jimin.

“We’ll find a way,” Taehyung determines. “I won’t let that mistletoe go to waste.”

*^.^*

“Well we can’t let that happen,” Nayeon declares when Jimin tells his flatmates the news. “Didn’t you plan the party with him in mind?”

“He planned it thinking of Christmas cheer and celebrating with our friends before the holidays,” Mina corrects her. Then she sees the look on Jimin’s face. “Wait, really?”

Jimin sighs. “I know it’s stupid. But I really want him to be there. So… I was wondering, could we change the date of the party to something a little sooner?”

Jeongyeon lifts her eyebrows in interest. “How early?” She’s picking at a slice of ginger cake that Jimin made earlier today. Panic baking.

“The 16th, maybe? I know it’s soon,” Jimin continues anxiously. “But Yoongi’s train is on the 18th and I don’t want to leave it too late.”

“Sounds good to me,” Jeongyeon shrugs. “Some of my friends were leaving on the 19th and 20th – this way they might be able to make it, too.”

Mina nods in agreement. “Same here. Sooner might actually be better. We already have the decorations and the snacks, too.”

Nayeon grins cheesily. “Looks like Operation: Get Jimin A Boyfriend is well underway.”

“Nayeon, you’re not making this your mission,” Jimin says tiredly. He sounds almost resigned to the fact that it will probably happen anyway.

“Sure I am,” Nayeon responds, unbothered. “Okay, let’s think about how to market this. I’ll update my social media – Mina, can you make some flyers? We need to spread the word that the date has changed, fast.”

Jimin frowns. “We’re just inviting our friends. We could always let them know individually.”

“Oh, but this would be so much more fun,” Jeongyeon argues.

Mina laughs. “I’m happy to make flyers. I want to work on my cartoon style drawing anyway.”

Jimin slowly breathes out. “So you’re all in?”

“Of course,” Mina smiles. “Let’s go Get Jimin A Boyfriend.”

“Shit, you’re all going to start saying it now, aren’t you,” Jimin chuckles under his breath. He sighs at his friends and pulls the cake away from Jeongyeon just as she’s cutting herself another slice. She wrestles with him for the slice and grins.

“You bet we are,” Nayeon laughs as Jeongyeon victoriously takes another bite.

*^.^*

“Jimin, the flyers are incredible!” Taehyung enthuses when he enters the staff room at 11:45. Jimin’s slouched on the sofa, scoffing down an early lunch. Taehyung throws off his coat and scarf and slouches down next to him. “Did Mina make them?”

Jimin swallows down a bite of his sandwich. “She drew the pictures and Jeongyeon did the bubble writing.”

“I’m so excited for the party,” Taehyung says. “Thanks for consulting with me on the day change, by the way,” he continues sarcastically. “Jungkook and I have another Christmas outing on the 17th so that was a pretty close call.”

“Hey, Taehyung!” Sana greets him as she walks into the room. “I just wanted to check if you’ll be ready to start at 12 on the dot? I’m thinking about taking lunch early.”

“Sure,” Taehyung says. “I’m not Jimin.”

Jimin shoves Taehyung for the dig at his time management, then glances at Sana. “If you’re back here, who’s out front?”

She shrugs, unbothered. “Nobody’s here, anyway. Who comes to campus for a Costa during the holidays?”

“Teachers are still working,” Jimin says slowly.

“We were just talking about the Christmas party,” Taehyung enthuses.

“The one this Saturday?” Sana asks.

“It’s been moved,” Taehyung responds. “It’s on the 16th now.”

“Well don’t rush to tell me,” she says sarcastically, staring at them with an oversized smile. “The Christmas party plans changed and your _very first thought_ wasn’t to let me know? I’m trying really hard right now not to be offended.”

Taehyung laughs at her reaction. “This one’s on you, Jimin.”

“There are flyers all over the walls,” Jimin laughs. “I thought you’d have noticed.”

“Some people are actually focused on their job, Jimin,” Sana says condescendingly.

“Says the person who left the front counter unmanned,” Taehyung comments.

“Sana, we’d love to have you there,” Jimin tells her. “I just thought you couldn’t make it.”

“I’m going home on the 17th,” she replies pointedly. “The party’s on the 16th. I see no problem.”

“But isn’t your train at 5am or something?” Jimin says sceptically. “I swear I remember you saying something about spending the next few days prepping your beauty routine, so you wouldn’t look like a ghost on your way back.”

Sana giggles. “That’s right. And? I just won’t sleep. I’ll go to the party, then come home, finish packing, and head out.”

Jimin lifts an eyebrow. “Your stamina for nights out astounds me.”

“She’s one of the good ones,” Taehyung says proudly. “If only she was Korean, she’d get on with Korean Society like a house on fire.”

Sana laughs. “Maybe I’ll come along anyway. From the way you’ve described those bar crawls, I doubt anyone will be sober enough to notice.”

*^.^*

“I heard Jimin’s Christmas party is now on the 16th,” Namjoon says when he gets home.

Yoongi looks up from his laptop. “Yeah, I was going to tell you when you got back. How did you hear?”

“Flyers all over the Costa windows,” Namjoon chuckles. “I grabbed a coffee just before heading home. I got stuck in the queue behind Jungkook, would you believe how indecisive he is?”

Yoongi laughs. “Did you go at closing time?”

“Yeah, why?”

Yoongi shakes his head, smiling to himself as Hoseok walks into the room into his pyjamas. “Hey, how was campus? It’s freezing out there, I don’t know why you’d want to go now that classes are over.”

“It’s easier to work in the library,” Namjoon explains. He pokes Yoongi on the thigh, who reluctantly moves up, making space for him to sit down.

Hoseok perches on the end of the sofa next to them. “Why are you working? It’s Christmas!”

“Talking of which, the Christmas party is now on the 16th,” Yoongi tells him. “You know the one at Jimin’s flat? Maybe you can make it now.”

Hoseok’s eyes widen in interest. “You might actually be right. My flight’s the next day… but I wasn’t going to leave here until mid-morning, anyway. So I have time for a hangover lie-in.”

Namjoon snorts.

“You’ve got it all figured out,” Yoongi says approvingly.

“So who’s going to tell Seokjin about the change of plans?” Namjoon asks.

“Maybe we should make a group chat,” Yoongi says sceptically. “I think the chances of anyone running into him in the next few days are very slim.”

Namjoon laughs. “I’ll let him know.”

*^.^*

“Welcome!” Jimin grins when he opens the door to Yoongi and his flatmates. “Come on in.”

“This place looks amazing,” Yoongi says in wonder as they walk inside. There are fairy lights everywhere, balloons tied to the ceiling and paper snowflake banners decorating the doorframes.

“Thanks!” Jimin grins. There’s a Christmas tree on his cheek and, if Yoongi looked more closely, he may notice some more subtle glitter on his eyelids. Plus, of course, the iconic reindeer antlers. “We spent all day setting up.”

“Happy Christmas!” Nayeon cheers when she sees Yoongi. “Are these your flatmates?” she continues, far too loud despite the music playing in the background. There are already 15 or so people milling about the living room, another couple grabbing drinks from the kitchen area, and Yoongi can immediately tell it’s going to be a busy night.

“Yeah,” Yoongi responds. “This is Hoseok, Namjoon and Seokjin.” (It’s probably only the second time he’s hung out with Seokjin. Yoongi thinks it’s a miracle they managed to track him down and get him to come along tonight.)

“Nice to meet you!” Nayeon grins. “I’m Nayeon, lady of the house.” Followed by a dramatic curtsy.

Hoseok is already giggling when they walk past her to the drinks and snacks table. “Help yourself, we’ve got loads of snacks!” Jimin announces. “I know we said bring your own booze, but a couple people brought alcohol for the party, so take whatever you want.” He gestures to a cake tin in the corner. “The famous chocolate cups,” he tells Yoongi with a proud smile. “I promised I’d make you some.”

Yoongi grins. “They’d better live up to expectations.”

Jimin raises an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

“Before you get carried away flirting,” Hoseok cuts in, “can I ask where the bathroom is?”

Yoongi snorts as Jimin leads Hoseok back into the hallway. He turns to Namjoon and Seokjin. “Right then. Are we ready to get smashed?”

“Absolutely,” Seokjin says.

Jimin resurfaces a few moments later. Yoongi, Namjoon and Seokjin are already caught up in a conversation with Taehyung and Jungkook. “You _have_ to come to the next bar crawl, you were so much fun at Chuseok,” Taehyung is telling Seokjin enthusiastically.

Seokjin is grinning in response, ear to ear – and they hardly had any alcohol before walking over. He must have been starved for social contact, Yoongi considers. Since he’s been so elusive this term.

Jimin walks over, tapping Yoongi on the shoulder. “Having fun already, without me?”

Yoongi chuckles. “We didn’t even have time to get drinks before Taehyung and Jungkook dragged us away. They have way too much energy for me right now,” he confesses. “I think Jungkook’s about to start breakdancing any second.”

Jimin laughs. “Come on, let’s get you a drink then.”

“Did you steal those from work?” Yoongi asks as they walk back to the drinks table, gesturing to the antlers.

“They’re mine!” Jimin responds, clearly offended at the insinuation. “I just brought them in to add to the festive vibe. Sana has a policy that anyone who isn’t committed enough to spreading holiday spirit needs to find a job outside of customer service.”

Yoongi snorts when he realises what this means. “So the company policy to dress up for Christmas is actually just Sana’s policy?”

“I have you know, I told you it was a policy among the staff,” Jimin replies dignifiedly.

“So when you said it was a policy among the staff,” Yoongi repeats, holding back a laugh, “it was actually just Sana’s policy?”

“Okay, okay,” Jimin giggles. “But Sana’s scary when she wants to be, trust me.” He puts his hands down on the counter. “What are you drinking tonight?” He pauses, looking at Yoongi carefully. “Do you trust me?”

“At this point, how could I not?” Yoongi shrugs.

Jimin smiles again, softer this time. He picks up a nearby bottle. “Vodka?”

Yoongi wrinkles his nose. “Is it too late to reclaim my trust in you?”

Jimin snorts. “Not a fan?”

“I’m just more of a flavoured vodka kind of guy.”

“Well we can remedy that,” Jimin smiles, moving towards the cupboard. “What do we think? Gingerbread?” He holds up the flavoured syrup with a goofy grin and Yoongi laughs.

“Maybe something a little less out there?”

“But it’s Christmas!” Jimin protests, his reindeer antlers wobbling about atop his head.

Yoongi feels his grin widening. “Ask me again when I’m 5 drinks down. I might be more up for it then.”

*^.^*

A little while later, after a crazy few rounds of Ring of Fire, Jimin and Yoongi are sat next to each other on the floor of the living room. Nayeon has challenged Sana to a game of beer pong at the kitchen table which she is most definitely winning, while Jeongyeon and Jungkook are having a fierce competition on who can eat more chocolate cups. (Luckily, Jimin has already packed some away for Yoongi to take home.) Namjoon and Seokjin have disappeared somewhere and Hoseok and Taehyung seem to be having their own small dance party in the corner, but Yoongi doesn’t care about any of that right now. Because Jimin is right next to him, smiling and laughing as they talk to the other people round the circle.

He looks amazing. The bright kitchen lights highlight the sparkly Christmas tree on his cheek and his antlers are slowly falling off his head. He looks dishevelled, but in a somehow put-together way that Yoongi doesn’t know how to describe.

Yoongi has never wanted to kiss someone more.

A couple of people in the circle stand up to go get more drinks and Jimin feels the mood shift. He turns to Yoongi, who’s still sat ridiculously close. Yoongi’s had Jimin on edge all night. Jimin doesn’t know if he’s seen Yoongi smile so much before, but he wants to make it happen again and again.

He realises he’s staring a little too late.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Yoongi asks. There’s a soft smile on his face, one that suggests he knows the answer.

Jimin holds back a smile of his own. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Yoongi’s eyes flit down to his lips, then back up again.

Jimin bites his lip in anticipation and shifts position slightly, feeling his antlers flop even more to the side.

“You look cute in those antlers,” Yoongi mumbles.

“Yeah?” Jimin says, shifting closer. He feels Yoongi reach for his hand and he quickly scans the room before making a decision. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

If they’re going to have their first kiss tonight, it isn’t going to be in a room of drunk students with a game of beer pong happening two feet away. Jimin’s decided on that.

Yoongi takes the lead, walking upstairs to a quiet corridor, hand still clutching Jimin’s. “You’re right,” Yoongi murmurs. “Much better here.” They’re stood under the mistletoe Jimin put up earlier. The glitter on Yoongi’s cheeks sparkles. He holds Jimin’s hand tighter, reaching his other hand out to touch Jimin’s arm.

Jimin mimics the action, holding Yoongi closer to him. “How drunk are you?” he asks, running his hand down Yoongi’s arm to his fingers and then back up again. “I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow and not remember this.”

Yoongi shakes his head. “I’ve been alternating. One glass of alcohol then one glass of water or something fizzy.” He chuckles at the surprise on Jimin’s face. “Do I seem that drunk to you? That’s a little embarrassing.”

“I guess I’m just not used to seeing you so open and carefree,” Jimin admits. “Or so cuddly,” he adds.

Yoongi hums. “Isn’t that a good thing? That you make me want to open up.”

Jimin smiles shyly. “A very good thing.”

Yoongi untwines their hands, touching the small of Jimin’s back. “Come on, I’ve been waiting all night for this. How much longer are you going to make me wait?”

Jimin’s answer is cut off by a couple running upstairs, giggling together and holding hands. “Just a smidge longer, it seems,” Jimin says regretfully. The couple runs pretty much straight into them and Yoongi steps away.

“Sorry to ask,” the girl giggles, “but would you mind giving us some privacy?”

Yoongi opens his mouth to argue, but Jimin is already saying, “No problem.” Jimin reaches for the mistletoe and pulls it down, curling his hand around it.

“Uh…” The girl’s laughter quickly dies out.

“We deliberately came upstairs because of the mistletoe,” the guy says, annoyed.

“Well I didn’t buy it for you,” Jimin replies unapologetically. He holds his hand out and Yoongi takes it, following Jimin past a couple of doors. “Have I shown you my room yet?” Jimin asks – and of course. His door is the one with a Christmas wreath and a drawing underneath of a reindeer playing in the snow.

“Did you draw that?” Yoongi asks.

“No, that was Mina,” Jimin explains. “She drew one for everyone. Nayeon put hers on her door too, the one downstairs with the snowman? I think Jeongyeon just blue tacked hers to her bedroom wall. But I think having it on display for all to see is much more festive.” He unlocks his door, pushing it open.

“It’s really impressive,” Yoongi comments.

“Yeah, she’s an amazing artist.” Jimin grins as he walks inside. “Welcome home.”

Yoongi chuckles at the sight. There are fairy lights all over the walls, gold tinsel wrapped around the window frame and baubles hanging off a tiny tree in the corner. “It’s so _you_ ,” he says.

Jimin chuckles. “Here, help me put this up.” He stands on top of the bed, reaching to the ceiling. “Shit, it’s lost its stick. Can you pass me the Sellotape? It’s on the desk.”

“Jimin, you charmed me weeks ago,” Yoongi says quizzically. “You really don’t have to…”

“If we don’t kiss under the mistletoe, it will feel like a wasted purchase,” Jimin insists.

Yoongi laughs in surprise. “Well okay, then.” He hands Jimin the tape and watches him fix the mistletoe to the ceiling. “Is this your way of getting me into bed, Jimin?” he says pointedly.

Jimin giggles, falling onto the bed. “Oh yes, it was all part of the plan.”

Yoongi leans forwards, looking at the polaroids on the wall that Jimin’s body was blocking before. He reaches past Jimin to unpin one picture. “Who’s this?”

“Oh, they’re my friends from back home.” Jimin gestures for Yoongi to pass over the picture. Yoongi crawls across the bed to join him and they look at the photo more closely: it’s a group shot outside in front of some Christmas lights. Again, it seems very Jimin. “This was my best friend at high school,” Jimin explains, pointing to the man on the far left. Jimin looks younger; Yoongi assumes the photo was taken a couple of years ago. “We used to hang out every day, but we lost contact a bit when I moved out here for university. Oh, this is one of our family friends, she’s called Momo – we met at international school. I know, I’m Korean, but my parents wanted me to learn English fluently and meet people from other backgrounds, so. Here we are.” He leans his head on Yoongi’s shoulder as he goes through the other people. “I only ever see them in the summer holidays, now.” He chuckles. “They tell me I sound less Korean every time I go back.” He reaches for another photo, holding it closer for Yoongi to see. “This one is my family. That’s my mum, there – no one ever sees the resemblance, but it’s in the eyes.”

Yoongi nods. “The eyes, yeah. I see it.” He turns to Jimin, looking into his eyes to confirm the similarities, but something about the look in Jimin’s eyes makes him forget why he started looking.

“I really like you, Yoongi,” Jimin says softly.

Yoongi’s heartbeat gets louder until it feels like it’s going to burst out of his chest. “I really like you, too.”

And, without letting himself think about it for another second, he leans closer and presses his lips to Jimin’s.

Jimin hums, probably involuntarily because he then laughs and pulls backwards. “Sorry. You caught me off guard.” His reindeer antlers slip forwards and fall across his nose.

Yoongi chuckles. “You’re ridiculously cute, you know that?”

Jimin blushes. “Shut up, that’s my line.” He pulls off the antlers and puts them on the bedside table, before leaning forward and kissing Yoongi again.

Jimin’s lips are soft but he kisses Yoongi with intention, like he knows what he’s doing. Like he knows how crazy Yoongi is for him. He tastes like cinnamon and ginger and vanilla. And it’s not the first time that Yoongi has thought about it; about how being with Jimin is like a holiday that he never wants to end.

Yoongi kisses him and it’s like the chocolate cups downstairs. So satisfying, yet always leaving you wanting more. He cups Jimin’s cheek and kisses him deeper.

At some point, they pull back to catch their breath.

“I’ve been thinking about this for months,” Jimin admits, then chuckles.

“Me too,” Yoongi murmurs. “Obviously.”

Jimin bites his lip. “You’re a good kisser.”

“You’re a better kisser.”

“How would you know? You’ve clearly never kissed yourself, that’s impossible –”

“Jimin, just accept the compliment.”

Jimin laughs and kisses him again.

*^.^*

“I can’t believe you brought me to your bedroom on our first date,” Yoongi says a while later. They’re still sat on Jimin’s bed, holding hands as they talk. Yoongi can’t recall what they’ve been chatting about, every conversation as insignificant as the previous, but he knows he’s having fun. He thinks there was something in there about plans for Christmas day, something else about Hoseok’s alcohol tolerance, and definitely a conversation about Jimin’s homemade chocolate cups. They’re really good, by the way – Yoongi can finally confirm that Jimin wasn’t bigging it up too much at all. The texture is smooth and creamy and the chocolate filling just melts in your mouth. The man has a gift.

Yoongi hasn’t felt this relaxed or carefree in a while, and he wonders if maybe it’s something to do with how Jimin brings out the best in him.

Jimin raises an eyebrow, a small smile on his face. “This isn’t exactly our first date, though, is it?”

Yoongi thinks back to their Costa hangouts, their walk to the music studios, their snowball fights… The night they almost kissed, before Seokjin turned up. The night of Seokjin’s birthday party, where they didn’t almost kiss but Yoongi has a feeling they both really wanted to.

“I guess not,” he admits.

Jimin rests his head on Yoongi’s shoulder. “Should we go back to the party at some point?”

Yoongi hums thoughtfully. “Only if I can challenge you to a game of beer pong.”

Jimin laughs. “You’re on. Doubles?” he asks, thinking of Nayeon downstairs. She’s the only partner he’d want to have on his team.

“Fine, but I’m taking Jungkook.”

“Fuck, I’m ruined. No one can drink as much as him and still stay sober.”

Yoongi grins. “We’ll be evenly matched, then. Jungkook’s crazy drinking habits versus Nayeon’s competitive spirit. I’m guessing you want her as your partner?”

Jimin smiles. “Am I that transparent?”

“Maybe. Or maybe I just know you well.”

Jimin grins. “It could always be a mix of both.”

“Look at that. Compromise,” Yoongi says. “I hear that’s good in relationships.”

Jimin laughs again, and Yoongi smiles harder.

There’s still the beer pong championship to compete in, but Yoongi doubts tonight could get any better.

*^.^*

“Hi,” Jimin says when Namjoon opens the door. “I’m here to help Yoongi pack.”

Namjoon raises an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

Yoongi runs down the stairs. “Did you hear the bell? Oh, hey Jimin.” A soft smile settles onto his face and Namjoon takes that as his cue to turn back to his breakfast. “I’m almost done. You can come up if you want.”

Jimin nods, following Yoongi upstairs. “I haven’t seen your room yet,” he comments as Yoongi pushes the door open.

Yoongi shakes his head. “It’s much less interesting than yours. Very plain. I should probably put more effort in next term.”

Jimin walks inside to find that Yoongi is exactly right. There’s nothing on the walls, only a couple pens and a laptop on the desk, and the shelves are all but empty. “Are you going home for Christmas or moving out?” Jimin says doubtfully.

Yoongi laughs. “I did tell you. I just don’t have an eye for home décor, I guess.”

“I can help you personalise your room when you come back in January,” Jimin offers.

Yoongi smiles again, a cute gummy smile that Jimin wishes he could see another 50 times before Yoongi has to leave.

Jimin doesn’t need to do all that much, it turns out. He’s always so last minute with packing that he thought Yoongi might need the support, but all Yoongi really wants from him is his company. Jimin doesn’t mind that.

“I’m heading out now, Joon,” Yoongi says when they get downstairs, his duffle bag over his shoulder. He’s wearing his hat, coat and scarf and Jimin’s gloves. Fully prepared for the cold weather outside. Jimin is similarly dressed up next to him.

Namjoon jumps up to hug Yoongi goodbye. “Have a great Christmas, Yoongi.”

“Thanks, Joon. You too.”

Jimin looks around. “Is Hoseok here? Or Seokjin? You might want to call them down to say bye.”

“Hoseok left yesterday,” Yoongi replies. “And Seokjin’s probably disappeared off the face of the Earth again.”

As if by magic, Seokjin walks downstairs at that very moment. “I heard voices. Are you off?”

Yoongi nods, and they share an awkward hug. Then he and Jimin leave the house.

“It’s a little weird leaving,” Yoongi comments as they walk down the street. “I’ve got used to living with Hoseok and Namjoon.”

“And Seokjin?”

“No, I’m not used to him yet.”

Jimin chuckles. “You’re funny.”

“I’m truthful,” Yoongi corrects him. “So, should I drop you off home before I head to the train station?”

“What do you mean?” Jimin asks. “I’m coming with you.”

*^.^*

It isn’t until they’re at the train station that Yoongi realises just how much he doesn’t want to leave. Jimin leans in to kiss Yoongi goodbye, and it’s over quickly but it leaves Yoongi feeling winded.

Yoongi kisses him again, just for the hell of it. And then, without planning to, he asks, “Any chance you want to come with me?” He clears his throat. “If you want a more homely Christmas with food cooked by a Korean grandma,” he adds wryly.

Jimin smiles. “No, I’ve got my family all set. Nothing like a group of international uni students struggling over a Christmas dinner together. But maybe next year,” he jokes.

The look in Yoongi’s eyes soften and Jimin’s laughter quickly dies out.

“I’ll see you in a few weeks,” Yoongi says, so quiet that Jimin might not hear if he weren’t standing so close.

“Yeah,” Jimin agrees. “I’ll be right where you left me. Except maybe a little traumatised from the struggles of Christmas Day. Don’t worry, I’ll take photos of our hardships and send you regular updates.”

Yoongi laughs. “Glad to hear it.”

Jimin kisses him softly, pulls away slowly. “I’ll see you soon.”

Yoongi hums. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Yoongi.”

Yoongi turns around, heading to the ticket barriers, and the bustle of the train station comes back to life.

Jimin watches him go, waving with a massive grin. He can’t wait until January.

*^.^*

Christmas Day is exactly what Yoongi hopes it to be. He’s at home with his family, celebrating with his parents and siblings and grandparents. Everything is loud, Christmas music playing in the background and presents being torn open by the kids. They eat far too much and play board games and Yoongi can’t stop smiling.

He takes a few pictures throughout the day and sends them to his friends, which prompts them to respond with their own pictures:

Hoseok sends over an awkward selfie with his family, all crowded around a Christmas pudding which they all seem reluctant to eat. Then there’s a short video of his grandparents and uncles singing Christmas carols, most likely extremely inebriated.

Namjoon sends a couple pictures of the Christmas tree he and Seokjin have put up in the living room, plus a photo of them wearing Christmas jumpers. Seokjin proceeds to send about 15 photos of the food he cooked for their Christmas dinner.

Taehyung and Jungkook send multiple couples photos, one upping Namjoon and Seokjin with a selfie in matching Christmas jumpers. They’ve also got a mini Christmas tree, theirs decorated with tiny beer bottle ornaments rather than baubles. (Yoongi snorts at the sight and sends back a photo of his family’s ceiling-height Christmas tree. The response he receives from Taehyung begins with ‘We may not have your Christmas tree, but at least we have each other!’ followed by an obnoxious photo of them kissing in front of their tree.)

And then there’s Jimin. Jimin’s first photo is an awkward selfie with his flatmates, all trying to get into the frame. Nayeon is mid-laugh and Jeongyeon looks like she’s trying to push Mina out of shot. The second picture is a platter of baked goods, presumably courtesy of Jimin. There are gingerbread men, butterfly cakes and (of course) chocolate cups. The third picture is one of Jimin on his own, making a heart with his fingers. He’s got a smudge of chocolate on his chin, which he informs Yoongi in the next message is all Jeongyeon’s fault, and he’s smiling in a way that makes Yoongi’s heart melt.

Yoongi calls him, when there’s a lull between Christmas dinner and dessert. It’s probably the only chance he’ll have to himself today without risking missing out on some of the festivities, and usually he might take this chance to relax on his own or even have a short nap. But today, he uses it to ring Jimin.

“Hi!” Jimin says, picking up right away. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas,” Yoongi chuckles. “Are you having a good day?” He’s sat in the kitchen, surrounded by mostly empty food dishes. He wonders if he should help tidy up in here before his parents come in to prepare dessert.

“The best day,” Jimin says. “Hey – Nayeon, no – I’m on the phone –”

There’s the sound of hurried footsteps, then the background noise dies down.

“Sorry about that,” Jimin says. “I’ve now escaped. You were saying?”

Yoongi laughs. “I wasn’t saying anything. You were.”

“Oh, right. Yes, it’s been the best day! We’ve been watching Christmas movies and eating far too much. You?”

“Pretty much the same,” Yoongi admits. “Except for the Christmas movie part. We’ve mainly had on music for my sisters. We also played a couple of board games earlier. I think we’ll probably play some more after dessert.”

“That sounds really fun,” Jimin says.

Yoongi chuckles. “Yeah. You seem like you’re having fun, too. So – why New Year?” he asks, the curiosity getting the better of him. “You seem like such a Christmas man. I really can’t accept this.”

Jimin hums. “I suppose it’s about the new beginnings. The possibility for anything to happen.”

“That does make sense,” Yoongi contemplates.

“A fresh start is such a cleansing thing, don’t you think?” Jimin continues. “Like it doesn’t really matter who you were yesterday. As long as you’re striving to be someone good tomorrow.”

“That’s very philosophical,” Yoongi comments. “And also ignores aspects of the criminal justice system. I’m pretty sure New Year won’t save people from being convicted for crimes they committed the previous year. It isn’t a clean slate for everyone.”

“Totally not what I was saying,” Jimin laughs. “But the lights, and the fireworks… everything screams of possibility. On Christmas, the air is full of love and joy. But on New Year’s Eve, the air is full of possibility and hope.”

“I didn’t know air particles were capable of so many emotions,” Yoongi says wryly.

“Stop that,” Jimin says. “You’re trying to make me feel silly and I will not stand for it.”

Yoongi smiles slightly. “Not silly. I think it’s nice.”

“Don’t you have hopes for the New Year?” Jimin continues. “I know I do.”

Yoongi thinks about Jimin, and where he hopes next year will take them. And he realises that in some sense, he can relate.

“You’re quiet because you’ve stopped listening,” Jimin deadpans.

Yoongi laughs out loud. “No. Just thinking.”

“Think on it some more later,” Jimin smiles. “For now, enjoy Christmas.” He hesitates. “I’ll talk to you soon?”

Yoongi hums. “I can call again tomorrow, if you’d like.” He sees his mother walk into the kitchen and he waves to her.

“Bye, Yoongi. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” Yoongi echoes with a small smile, before hanging up the phone.

His mother looks at him curiously. “Were you talking to a friend?”

“Yes,” Yoongi responds. Then he thinks better of it. “Actually – I think we might be more than that.”

Yoongi’s mother smiles. “Tell me about him.”

Yoongi laughs. “There’s a lot to say. He’s a great guy. Obsessed with the holidays, which is why I rang him today. But somehow he still maintains that he likes New Year more.” He blushes, belatedly aware that he’s probably oversharing.

“He sounds nice,” his mother replies. “It seems like you like him.”

“I do,” Yoongi agrees. He hesitates, an idea coming to him. “You know, I might need some advice.”

*^.^*

“Happy New Year’s Eve!” Yoongi announces, pushing open the front door dramatically. He’s expecting to probably see Namjoon in the kitchen, grabbing breakfast in his pyjamas, and for Seokjin to be nowhere in sight. The usual. It’s only midday, after all, and he didn’t tell his flatmates that he’d decided to come back early.

What he definitely isn’t expecting to see is Namjoon and Seokjin cuddled together on the sofa, watching a romcom on Namjoon’s laptop. And – if Yoongi isn’t mistaken – with Seokjin wearing Namjoon’s clothes.

Namjoon looks up in surprise and hits pause on the film. The door slams shut behind Yoongi as he stares at them.

“Oh. Yoongi? Hi.” Namjoon scrabbles away from Seokjin’s side, far too late, and Seokjin’s face colours red with a ridiculous blush.

“Happy New Year’s Eve, Yoongi,” Seokjin replies, surprisingly calm despite the face his face is looking progressively more like a tomato. “I didn’t know you were coming back so soon.”

Yoongi looks between the two of them carefully. “Are you… _together_?”

Namjoon scratches his ear awkwardly as Seokjin blushes further. “Yeah. Yes, we are.”

Yoongi shakes his head in wonder. “Well, congratulations, I guess? Shit, sorry, I thought this would be a nice surprise. I guess I’m just interrupting couple time now.”

“No –” Namjoon says quickly, cutting himself off with a sigh before he’s really begun. “This is exactly what we didn’t want to happen.”

“We’re all friends here,” Seokjin insists. “This shouldn’t change anything! Just because me and Joon like each other as more than friends, it shouldn’t stop us hanging out as a group.”

“But we don’t hang out as a group anyway,” Yoongi says, bewildered. It’s no secret that Seokjin’s never around.

“Hey, why don’t you join us?” Namjoon offers, putting more distance between him and Seokjin and patting the sofa, gesturing for Yoongi to sit in the middle.

“To cuddle with you and watch a romcom?” Yoongi says slowly. “No thanks.”

Seokjin chuckles. “We’ll change the film. To be honest, it wasn’t very good anyway.”

“Yeah. We were just too lazy to change it.”

Yoongi dumps his duffle bag on the floor. “No, wait. I have a couple of questions. How long have you been together?”

“Officially since Christmas Eve,” Seokjin responds, voice quiet. “I cooked us dinner and after we’d eaten, Namjoon just blurted out that he wanted to celebrate as boyfriends on Christmas Day, not as friends.”

Yoongi’s eyebrows lift into the air. “Wow. That’s incredibly presumptuous, Joon.”

Namjoon laughs. “We already knew we liked each other. We went on a couple of dates during term time. A bit like you and Jimin, I guess.”

The reminder of Jimin makes Yoongi remember something strange he noticed about Seokjin before. The day of his birthday, when they ran into their friends near the pool tables. “Does your secret relationship have anything to do with how you both seemed to recognise Jimin from somewhere?” Yoongi asks curiously. “Or am I way off the mark?”

“Not a secret relationship,” Namjoon responds, as Seokjin chuckles awkwardly.

“Yeah, you need to apologise to him from me,” Seokjin says. “I probably seemed quite rude, but I panicked.”

“It turns out Seokjin isn’t as against corporate chains as I’d expected,” Namjoon states. “We had our first date at Costa and Jimin was the one who served our drinks.”

“Oh,” Yoongi says in realisation. “Wow. So why didn’t you tell us?”

Seokjin shrugs. “We didn’t want to make it a big deal. We also weren’t sure how you and Hoseok would feel about living with a couple. I know it can get weird for people.”

“It’s not like you’ve acted at all coupley around each other,” Yoongi reasons. “I didn’t even notice that you liked each other. Besides, Seokjin, I hardly ever see you. How would it possibly bother me?”

“You make a good point,” Seokjin acknowledges. “Really, Yoongi, you should hang around downstairs more. I swear, sometimes it feels like you don’t even exist.”

*^.^*

Yoongi is nervous when he reaches Jimin’s front door. Undeniably so. For all he knows, Jimin has New Year’s plans already. Things may have changed since they last spoke about it. That’s one of the drawbacks of a surprise plan.

Still, Yoongi holds his ground and rings on the doorbell.

Mina answers the door a few moments later, her expression changing immediately into one of surprise. “Hi there. I’m guessing you’re here to see Jimin?”

Yoongi nods mutely. He’s glad Mina was the one to answer the door – if it was Nayeon or Jeongyeon, they probably would’ve shouted hello and given away things away too soon.

“He’s in the kitchen,” Mina says quietly. She then looks at him carefully. “We didn’t have many plans tonight, in case you were wondering. The rest of us don’t care as much about New Year. We were thinking of watching a film, then the fireworks at midnight.”

Yoongi smiles. “Thanks.” It’s only 7 o’clock – the evening hasn’t really started yet, he supposes.

“I’m planning on coming through to make dinner at around 8,” Mina continues. “Nayeon’s out right now and Jeongyeon said she’d order takeaway during the film. We said we’d start watching at 8:30.”

Yoongi blinks at her. He understands what she’s implying: even if they’re in the kitchen, they’ll have the next hour or so to themselves. “Sounds good,” Yoongi says.

Mina nods, then heads back up to her room.

“Hey, who was it at the door?” Jimin calls out into the hallway without turning around. “Did Jeongyeon’s takeaway come early? Jeongyeon, we told you you didn’t need to order it so far in advance!”

Yoongi stifles a laugh and walks into the kitchen. “Surprise.”

Jimin stumbles over his own feet in his haste to turn around. “What – _Yoongi_?” He laughs, rushing over. “What are you doing here?”

“We couldn’t celebrate Christmas together,” Yoongi explains. “But New Year is your favourite holiday. I wanted to be here.” He moves closer and kisses Jimin softly.

Jimin hums into the kiss, then stumbles backwards, chuckling awkwardly. (Yoongi wonders whether this will become a theme.) “I had no idea you were coming!”

“That’s generally the point of a surprise,” Yoongi says dryly.

“I can’t believe you,” Jimin mumbles. “Who let you in, by the way? Did anyone know you were coming?”

“Mina let me in,” Yoongi answers. “And no, Jimin. It was a _surprise_.”

“Mina,” Jimin sighs with a shake of his head. He’s smiling. “So sly. I didn’t even hear her talking to you.”

Yoongi grins. “She said you had some plans with the TV tonight, to bring in the New Year. I don’t have to stick around for long, if you want to spend it with them –”

“No, stay,” Jimin says immediately. “I mean, if you want to?”

Yoongi snorts. “Jimin, I came back early just to see you. You think I’d have come back to say hi and then gone home to spend New Year on my own?”

“Namjoon and Seokjin are there,” Jimin points out.

“That’s true,” Yoongi acknowledges. “Big news: they’re dating. Officially together since Christmas Eve. I had no idea they even spoke that much.”

Jimin laughs. “Yeah, I thought something was going on. I served them at Costa a few weeks ago and it seemed like they were on a date.”

Yoongi hums. “They mentioned. It’s just me who’s out of the loop then. As usual.”

“Be a bit more sociable and maybe you’ll know what’s going on a bit more,” Jimin teases him.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Yoongi laughs. “Stop listening to Hoseok. I’m a very friendly person.”

“I know,” Jimin grins. He kisses Yoongi on the cheek. They smile at each other stupidly for a moment until a timer on Jimin’s phone goes off. “Oh, I need to check the oven! I was in the middle of baking some things for tonight.” He looks at Yoongi hopefully. “Did you want to help, maybe?”

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “Depends. Are they chocolate cups?”

Jimin smirks. “Among other things. If you’re lucky, I’ll even share the family brownie recipe with you.”

“I would be honoured,” Yoongi replies.

“You might need to stick around for the film, too,” Jimin says, eyes focused on the oven as he gets out a baking tray full of cookies. “With my baking schedule, I’m cutting it a bit fine, and by the time we start the film, you might as well join.”

Yoongi hums. “You’re right; that does sound like the most practical decision.”

Jimin smiles. “I’m glad you’re here, Yoongi.”

“Me too.”

*^.^*

As it happens, New Year is a quiet affair. Yoongi stays with Jimin and his flatmates for the night – and he does end up watching a romcom, after all. But Jimin is there cuddling into his side and Yoongi finds that they could be watching anything; he’d still be happy.

He also hops onto Jeongyeon’s takeaway order, buying far too much food considering they have a feast for dessert. Jimin complains at him for it, then steals half the food off his plate. Yoongi decides he doesn’t mind as long as he can take some biscuits and chocolate cups back home with him.

The fireworks go off at midnight and they all cheer, clapping and whooping from the sofa. “Happy New Year!” Yoongi just has time to say, before Jimin pulls him closer and kisses him on the lips.

“Happy New Year, Yoongi,” Jimin mumbles, the goofiest smile on his face. Yoongi’s heart flutters and his mind goes blank.

It’s all he can do to respond, “You too.”

“So, uh.” Jimin falters. “This may be a strange time to ask, but let’s just say the New Year vibes are getting to me. Would you want to go out with me? Like, officially.”

Yoongi looks at him cautiously. “Officially like Namjoon and Seokjin?”

“Yeah,” Jimin breathes.

“You want me to be your boyfriend?” Yoongi reiterates.

“Yoongi, yes,” Jimin says quickly, frustrated. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He presses his lips together, the nerves getting to him. “What do you think?”

“I think my answer’s been obvious for weeks,” Yoongi replies.

Jimin is still looking at him confusedly. “Yoongi, that wasn’t a real answer.”

Yoongi laughs. “Jimin, it’s a yes. Of course it is. I haven’t been able to even think about anyone else since I met you.”

Yoongi kisses him again and Jimin kisses back. It feels like a promise, like hope and possibility.

There’s silence in the room for a moment. Then Nayeon shouts “The mission is a success!” and the room erupts into more cheers.

And Yoongi doesn’t even know what that means, but everyone is laughing and smiling and Yoongi realises he doesn’t care. He doesn’t even feel apprehensive about walking home in minus degrees when the celebrations are over tonight. Because being with Jimin is like winter hugs and chocolate cups, and with that in mind, the cold weather doesn’t seem so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I don’t work for Costa. I’m just a hot chocolate lover
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this! ^.^ Happy New Year everyone
> 
> Please do tell me what you think if you have a chance! Every kudos and comment is appreciated :)


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